
Qass. 
Book- 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



/ 

CHAVASSE'S fP-vf^ - . ,,. 

ADVICE TO A WIFE 

ON THE 

MANAGEMENT OF HER OWN HEALTH 

AND ON THE 

TEEATMENT OF SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS 

INCIDENTAL TO 

PREGNANCY, LABOR, AND SUCKLING 

REVISED BY 

FANCOURT , BARNES, M.D., F.R.S.E. 

CONSULTING PHYSICIAN TO THE BRITISH LYING-IN HOSPITAL 
FOUBTEENTm EDITION 




NEW YORK 
GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS Limited 

27 AND 29 West 23d Streets 

"; two COMB ««'^^° 



2894 



Copyright, 1898, 

BY 

J. & A. CHURCHILL 



m 



PEEFACE. 



The continued and unexampled success of this work 
leaves no ground for doubt as to its usefulness. In- 
deed, it has now been read with advantage by several 
successive generations of wives. There seems to be 
no reason why it should not continue to be referred 
to in the same way by those to come. 

In revising this new edition I have left the collo- 
quial style in which the book is written untouched. 
It may be noticed by the reader that there is a certain 
amount of repetition in some parts of the book. This 
I have allowed to remain, as in my judgment it is a 
fault on the right side. 

"Where necessary, new information has been added, 
chiefly in the question of antiseptics. It must be 
borne in mind that the bulk of the subject matter 
cannot change to any extent, inasmuch as it deals 
with a branch of medicine which has reached its sci- 
entific maturity. 

Among the various remedies and prescriptions 
found in the book are some old forms which I have 
preserved because they are good, and have been tried 
and proved to be so. It is not always the last new 
drug which is the most efficacious. 

rAK"COUET BAETs"ES, M.D. 

7, Queen Anxe Street, W. 
January, 1898, 



ADVICE TO A WIFE. 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



A good wife is Heaven's last^ best gift to man— his angel and minister 
of graces innumerable — his gem of many virtues — his casket of jewels ; 
—her voice is siveet mv^ic — her seniles, his brightest day — her kiss^ the 
guardian of his innocence — her arms, the pale of his safety, the balm of 
his health, the balsam of his life — her industry, his surest wealth— her 
economy, his safest stetvard — her lips, his faithfid counselors, herbosom^ 
the softest pillow of his cares — and her prayers, the ablest advocate of 
Heaven''s blessings on his ^eod.— Jeremy Taylor. 

A guardian angel o'er his life presiding. 
Doubling hi pleasures and his cares dividing. 

Rogers. 

Of earthly goods the best is a good Wife ; 
A badi the bitterest curse of human life. 

SiMONIDES. 

1. It may be well — before I enter on the subjects 
of menstruation^ pregnancy^ labor, and suckling — 
to offer a few preliminary observations, especially ad- 
dressed to a Young AVife. 

2. My subject is health, — the care, the restoration, 
and the preservation of health, — one of the most mo- 
mentous themes that can be brought before a human 
being, one that should engross much of our time and 
of our attention, and one that, unless it be properly 
inquired into and attended to, cannot be secured. 
The human frame is, as every one knows, constantly 



6 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

liable to be oat of order ; it would be strange, indeed, 
if a beautiful and complex instrument like the human 
body were not occasionally out of tune — 

'* Strange ! that a harp of a thousand strings 
Should keep in tune so long." — Watts. 

3. The advice I am about to offer to my fair reader 
is of the greatest importance, and demands her 
deepest attention. How many wives are there with 
broken health, with feeble constitutions, and with 
childless homes ! Their number is legion ! It is 
painful to contemplate that in our country there are 
far more unhealthy than healthy wives. There must 
surely be numerous causes for such a state of things ! 
A woman, born with every perfection, to be full of 
bodily infirmities ! It was ordained by the Almighty 
that wives should be fruitful and multiply ! Surely 
there must be something wrong in the present system 
if they do not do so ! In the following pages it will 
be my object to point out many of the causes of so 
much ill-health among wives, — ill-health that some- 
times leads to barrenness, — and to suggest remedies 
both for the prevention and for the cure of such con- 
ditions. 

4. ^^ It is an astounding and lamentable fact that 
one out of eight — that twelve and a half per cent, of 
all the wives of England are barren — are childless ! 
A large majority of this twelve and a half per cent, 
might be made fruitful, provided a more judicious 
plan of procedure than is at present pursued were 
adopted. My anxious endeavors, in the following 
pages, will be to point out remedies for the evil, and 
to lay down rules — rules which, I hope, my fair reader 
will strenuously follow. 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — HEALTH. 7 

5. My theme;, then^ is Health,- — the Health of 
Wives, — and the object I shall constantly have in 
view will be the best means both of preserving it and 
of restoring it when lost. By making a wife strong, 
she will not only, in the majority of cases, be made 
fruitful, but capable of bringing healtliy children into 
the world. This latter inducement is of great impor- 
tance ; for puny children are not only an anxiety to 
their parents, but a misery to themselves, and a trouble 
to all around ! Besides, it is the children of England 
that are to be her future men and women — her glory 
and her greatness ! How desirable it is, then, that 
her children should be hardy and strong ! 

6. A wife may be likened to a fruit tree, a child to 
its fruit. We all know that it is as impossible to have 
fine fruit from an unhealthy tree as to have a fine 
child from an unhealthy mother. In the one case, the 
tree either does not bear fruit at all — is barren, or it 
bears undersized, tasteless fruit — fruit which often 
either immaturely drops from the tree,* or, if plucked 
from the tree, is useless ; in the other case, the wife 
either does not bear children — she is barren, or she 
has frequent miscarriages, '^ untimely fruit '^ or she 
bears puny, sickly children, who often either drop 
into an early grave, or, if they live, probably drag out 
a miserable existence. You may as well expect ^^ to 
gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles,^^ as healthy 
children from unhealthy parents ! Unhealthy par- 
ents, then, as a matter of course, have unhealthy 
children ; this is as truly the case as the night follows 
the day, and should deter both man and woman so 
circumstanced from marrying. There are numerous 



^ '' The weakest kind of fruit 
Drop earliest to the gvo\m^,'' —Shakespeare. 



8 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

other comj)laints besides consumj)tion and insanity, 
inherited and propagated by parents. It is a fearful 
responsibility;, both to men and women, if they be not 
healthy, to marry. The result must, as a matter of 
course, be misery ! How many a poor unfortunate 
child may, with anguish of soul, truly exclaim, ^' Be- 
hold, I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin hath my 
mother conceived me ! ^' — The Psalms. 

7. If a wife is to be healthy and strong, she must 
use the means— she must sow the seeds of health be- 
fore she can reap a full harvest of health ; health will 
not come by merely wishing for it. The means are 
not always at first pleasant ; but, like many other 
things, habit makes them so. Early rising, for in- 
stance, is not agreeable to the lazy, or to those fond 
of bed ; but it is essentially necessary to sound health, 
and is in the end a pleasure. Exercise is troublesome 
to the indolent ; but no woman can be really strong 
without it, and exercise becomes, after a time, a 
pastime. Thorough ablution of the whole body is 
distasteful to one not accustomed to much washing — 
to one laboring under a kind of hydrophobia ; but 
there is no perfect health without the daily cleansing 
of the whole skin, and, after a short period, thorough 
ablution becomes a luxury. But all these processes 
entail trouble. True ; is anything in this world to 
be done without trouble ? and is not the acquisition 
of precious health worth trouble ? Yes, it is worth 
more than all our other acquisitions put together ! 
Life without health is a burden ; life with health is 
a joy and gladness ! Up, then, and arouse yourself, 
and be doing ; for life is no child^s play, — 

** Life is real ! life is earnest." — Longfelloiv, 
^^ Fear not, nor be dismayed ; be strong, and of good 



i:S'TRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — IDLENESS. 9 

Xo time is to be lost if you wish to be 
well^ to be a mother j, and to be a mother of healthy 
children. The misfortune of it is^ many ladies are 
more than half -asleep^ and are not aroused to danger 
until danger stares them in the face ; when danger 
does show itself^ they are like a startled hare — full 
of fears ; they are not cognizant of ill-health slowly 
creeping upon them^ until^ in too many cases^ the 
time is gone by for relief^ and ill-health has become 
confirmed — has become a part and parcel of them- 
selves ; they do not lock the stable until the steed be 
stolen ; they do not use the means until the means 
are of no avails — 

*' A sacred burden is tins life ye bear, 
Look on it, hft it, bear it solemnly, 
Stand up and walk beneath it steadfastly. 
Fail not for sorrow, falter not for sin, 
But onward, upward, till the goal ye win." 

F. A. Kemhle. 

8. Idleness is the mother of many diseases ; she 
breeds them, feeds them^ and fosters them^ and is 
moreover, a great enemy to fecundity. Idleness 
makes people miserable. I have heard a young girl, 
surrounded with every luxury, bemoan her lot, and 
complain that she was most unhappy in consequence 
of not having anything to do, and who wished that 
she had been a servant, so that she might have been 
obliged to work for her living. Idleness is certainly 
the hardest work in the world. ^* ^\^oe to the idle I 
Woe to the lonely I Woe to the dull ! Woe to the 
quiet little paradise, to the sweet unvaried tenor, to 
the monotonous round of routine that creates no 
cares, that inflicts no pangs, and that defies even 
disappointment.^^ — T/ie Times. 



10 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

9. It frequently happens that a lady, surrounded 
with every luxury and every comfort, drags out a 
miserable existence ; she cannot say that she ever, 
even for a single day, really feels well and strong. 
This is not to live, — 

'* For life is not to live, but to be weW— Martial. 

10. The life of such a one is wearisome in the 
extreme ; she carries about her a load grievous to be 
borne ; and, although all around her and about 
her might be bright and cheerful, a dark cloud of 
despondency overshadows her, and she becomes as 
helpless and 

*' As weak as wailing infancy."— Cra65e. 

11. If a person be in perfect health, the very act 
of living is itself true happiness and thorough enjoy- 
ment, the greatest this world can ever bestow. How 
needful it therefore is that all necessary instruction 
should be imparted to every Young Wife, and that 
proper means should, in every way, be used to insure 
health ! 

12. The judicious spending of the first year of 
married life is of the greatest importance in the 
making and in the strengthening of a wife's constitu- 
tion, and in preparing her for having a family. How 
sad it is, then, that it is the first twelve months 
which, as a rule, are especially chosen to mar and 
ruin her own health, and to make her childless ! The 
present fashionable system of spending the first few 
months of married life in a round of visiting, of late 
hours, and in close and heated rooms, calls loudly for 
a change. How many valuable lives have been sacri- 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — IDLENESS. 11 

ficed to such a custom I How many miscarriages, 
premature births, and still-born children, have re- 
sulted therefrom I How many homes have been made 
childless — desolate — by it I Time it is that common 
sense should take the place of such folly I The 
present system is bad, is rotten at the core, and is 
fraught with the greatest danger to human life and 
human happiness. How often a lady, during the 
first year of her wifehood, is gadding out night after 
night, — one evening to a dinner party, the next night 
to private theatricals, the third to an evening party, 
the fourth to the theater, the fifth to a ball, the sixth 
to a concert, until, in some cases, every night except 
Sunday night is consumed in this way, — coming home 
frequently in the small hours of the morning, through 
damp or fog, or rain, or snow, feverish, flushed, and 
excited, too tired until the morning to sleep, when 
she should be up, out, and about. When the morn- 
ing dawns she falls into a heavy, unrefreshing 
slumber, and wakes not until noon, tired and unfit 
for the duties of the day ! Night after night — gas, 
crowded rooms, carbonic acid gas, late hours, wine, 
and excitement are her portion. As long as such a 
plan is adopted, the preacher preacheth but in vain. 
Night after night, week after week, month after 
month, this game is carried on, until at length either 
an illness or broken health supervenes. Surely these 
are not the best means to ensure health and a family 
and healthy progeny ! The fact is, a wifenow-a-days 
is too artificial ; she lives on excitement ; it is like 
drinking no wine but champagne, and, like cham- 
pagne taken in excess, it soon plays sad havoc with 
her constitution. The pure and exquisite enjoyments 
of nature are with her too commonplace, tame, low. 



12 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

and vulgar. How little does such a wife know of the 
domestic happiness so graphically and sweetly de- 
scribed by that poet of the affections, Cowper, — 

** Fireside enjoyments, home-born happiness 
And all the comforts that the lowly roof 
Of undisturbed retirement, and the hours 
Of long uninterrupted evening, know." 

13. A fashionable lady might say, '' I cannot give 
up fashionable amusements ! I must enjoy myself as 
others do ; I might as well be out of the world as out 
of the fashion. ^^ To such a one I reply, " I myself 
am not a fashionist — it is not in my line ; and as in 
the following pages I have to tell some plain unvar- 
nished truths, my advice to you is, close this book at 
once, and read no more of it, as such a work as this 
cannot be of the slightest use to you, however it might 
be to one who values health ^ as a jewel of great price ' 
— as one of her most precious earthly possessions." 
Eeally the subject is assuming such a serious aspect 
that it behoves a medical man to speak out plainly 
and unreservedly, and to call things by their right 
names. Fashion is oftentimes but another name for 
suicide and for baby-slaughter — for ^' massacre of the 
innocents ! '^ Heaven help the poor unfortunate 
little child whose mother is a votary of fashion, who 
spends her time in a round and whirl of fashionable 
life, and leaves her child to the tender mercies of 
servants, who, '^^ gang their ain gait," and leave their 
little charge to do the same. Such a mother is more 
unnatural than a wild beast ; for a wild beast, as a 
rule, is gentle, tender, and attentive to its offspring, 
scarcely ever for a moment allowing its young to be 
out of its sight. Truly, fashionable life deadens the 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — FASHIO:Nr. 13 

feelings and affections. I am quite aware that what 
I have just now written will, by many fashionable 
ladies, be pooh-poohed, and be passed by as ^^ the idle 
wind.''^ They love their pleasures far above either 
their own or their children's health, and will not allow 
anything, however precious, to interfere with them ; 
but still I have confidence that many of my Judicious 
readers will see the truth and justness of my remarks, 
and will profit by them. 

14. A round of visiting, a succession of rich liv- 
ing, and a want of rest, during the first year of a 
wife's life, often plays sad havoc with her health, and 
takes away years from her existence. Moreover, such 
proceedings often mar the chances of her ever be- 
coming a mother, and then she will have real cause 
to grieve over her fatuity. 

15. A French poet once sung that a house without 
a child is like a garden without a flower, or like a 
cage without a bird. The love of offspring is one of 
the strongest instincts implanted in woman ; there is 
nothing that will compensate for the want of chil- 
dren. A wife yearns for them ; they are as necessary 
to her happiness as the food she eats and as the air 
she breathes. If this be true, — which, I think, can- 
not be gainsaid, — how important is our subject — one 
of the most important that can in this world engage 
one's attention, requiring deep consideration and 
earnest study. 

16. The first year of a married woman's life gen- 
erally determines whether, for the remainder of her 
existence, she shall be healthy and strong, or shall be 
delicate and weak ; whether she shall be the mother 
of fine, healthy children, or— if, indeed, she be a 
mother at all — of sickly, undersized offspring — 



14 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

** Born but to weep, and destined to sustain 
A youth of wretchedness, an age of pain." — Roscoe, 

If she be not a parent, her mission in life will be only 
half performed, and she will be robbed of the greatest 
happiness this world can afford. The delight of a 
mother, on first calling a child her own, is exquisite, 
and is beautifully expressed in the following lines — 

'* He was my ain, and dear to me 
As the heather-bell to the honey-bee, 
Or the braird to the mountain hare." — Good Words, 

17. I should recommend a young wife to remember 
the momentous mission she has to fulfil ; to ponder 
on the importance of bringing healthy children into 
the world ; to bear in mind the high duties that she 
owes herself, her husband, her children, and society ; 
to consider well the value of health. ^^ The first 
wealth,^^ says Emerson, ^^ is health '^ ; and never to 
forget that ^^life has its duties ever.^^ — Doiiglas Jer- 
raid. 

18. A young married lady ought at once to com- 
mence taking regular and systematic outdoor exercise y 
which might be done without in the least interfering 
with her household duties. There are few things 
more conducive to health than Avalking exercise ; 
and one advantage of our climate is, that there are 
but few days in the year in which at some period of 
the day it .might not be taken. Exercise should al- 
ways be taken in pure air. The more exercise you 
take, the more air you inhale, therefore the more im- 
portant is it that the air should be pure. Indeed, in- 
halations of pure air cleanse the air cells of the lungs 
and oxygenate the blood. Walking — I mean a walk, 
not a stroll — is a glorious exercise : it expands the 



li^TRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — WALKING. 15 

chest and throws back the shoulders ; it strengthens 
the muscles ; it promotes digestion, making a person 
digest almost any kind of food ; it tends to open the 
bowels, and is better than any aperient pill ever in- 
vented ; it clears the complexion, giving roses to the 
cheeks and brilliancy to the eye, and, in point of 
fact, is one of the greatest beautifiers in the world. 
It exhilarates the spirits like a glass of champagne, 
but, unlike champagne, it never leaves a headache be- 
hind. If ladies would walk more than they do, there 
would be fewer lackadaisical, useless, complaining 
wives than there are at present ; and instead of hav- 
ing a race of puny children, we should have a race of 
giants. "Walking exercise is worthy of all Qommenda- 
tion, and is indispensable to contentment, health, 
strength, and comeliness. Of course, if a lady be 
pregnant, walking must then be cautiously pursued ; 
but still walking in moderation is even then abso- 
lutely necessary, and tends to keep off many of the 
wretchedly depressing symptoms, often, especially in 
a first pregnancy, accompanying that state. I am 
quite sure that there is nothing more conducive to 
health than the wearing out of lots of shoe-leather, 
and leather is cheaper than physic. 

19. Walking is even more necessary in the winter 
than in the summer. If the day be cold, and the 
roads be dirty, provided it be dry above, I should ad- 
vise my fair reader to put on thick boots and a warm 
shawl, and to brave the weather. Even if there be a 
little rain and much wind, if she be well wrapped up, 
neither the rain nor the wind will harm her. A 
little sprinkling of rain, provided the rules of health 
be followed, will not give her cold. Much wind will 
not blow her away. She must, if she wishes to be 



16 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

strong, fight against it ; the conflict will bring the 
color to her cheek and beauty to her eye. 

20. Let her exert herself ; let her mind conquer 
any indolence of the body ; let her throw off her leth- 
argy — it only requires a little determination ; let her 
^' run the race that is set before her '' ; for life, both 
to man and woman, is a race that must be run. 
Bear in mind, then, that if a lady is to be healthy, 
she miist take exercise, and that not by fits and starts, 
but regularly and systematically. A stroll is of little 
use, she must walk ! And let there be no mistake 
about it, for Nature will have her dues : the muscles 
are not to be trifled with, but require to be tired ; 
the lungs ^sk for the revivifying air of heaven, and 
not for the stifling air of a close room ; the circula- 
tion demands the quickening influence of a brisk 
walk, and not to be made stagnant by idleness. This 
world was never made for idleness ; everything around 
and about us tells of action and of progress. Idle 
people are miserable people ; idle people are diseased 
people ; there is no mistake about it. 

** And heard thy everlasting yawns confess 
The pains and penalties of idleness." 

Pope's Dunciad, 

There is no substitute in this world for exercise and 
for occupation ; neither physic nor food will keep 
people in health, they must be up and doing, and 
buckle on their armor, and flght, as every one has to 
fight, the battle of life ! Mr. Milne, a master of the 
North Warwickshire hounds, at a hunt dinner, pithily 
remarked, '' that fox-hunting was the best physic for 
improving a bad constitution.'' I am quite sure, 
with regard to the fair sex, that an abundance of 



IKTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — WALKING. 17 

walking exercise and of household occupation is de- 
cidedly the best physic for improving a lady's con- 
stitution^ more especially if she has, as unfortunately 
too many of them have, a bad one ; indeed, an abun- 
dance of walking exercise and of household occupa- 
tion will frequently convert an indifferent into a good 
constitution. Moreover, there is not a greater beau- 
tifier in the world than fresh air and exercise ; a lady 
who lives half her time in the open air, — in God^'s 
sunshine, — and who takes plenty of walking exercise, 
has generally a clear and beautiful complexion — 

** She looks as clear 
As morning roses newly washed with dew." 

Shakspeare. 

21. Many wives, I am quite sure, owe their good 
health to their good legs, and to their good use of 
them. Woe betide those ladies who do not exercise 
their legs as they ought to do I — ill-health is sure to 
be their portion. Why, some ladies are little bet- 
ter than fixtures ; they seem, for hours together, to 
be almost glued to their seats ! Such persons are 
usually nervous, dispirited, and hysterical, and well 
they might be — fancying they have every disease 
under the sun — which hysteria feigns so well ! There 
is no chance of their being better until they mend 
their ways — until they take Nature's physic — an 
abundance of exercise and of fresh air ! 

22. Do not let me be misunderstood : I am not 
advocating that a delicate lady, unaccustomed to 
exercise, should at once take violent and long con- 
tinued exercise. Certainly not ! Let a delicate lady 
leccDi to take exercise, as a young child would Iear?i 
to walk — by degrees; let her creep, and then go; 



18 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

let her gradually increase her exercise, and let her do 
nothing either rashly or unadvisedly. If a child 
attempted to run before he could walk, he would 
stumble and fall. A delicate lady requires just as 
much care in the training to take exercise as a child 
does in the learning to walk ; but exercise must be 
learned and must be practiced, if a lady, or any one 
else, is to be healthy and strong. Unfortunately, in 
this our day, the importance of exercise as a means 
of health is but little understood and but rarely 
adopted ; notwithstanding, a lady may rest assured 
that until a ^^ change come o^er the spirit of her 
dreams,^^ ill-health will be her daily and constant 
companion. Standing is not exercise. It spells 
fatigue. The human body is not so constructed as 
to adapt it to standing. Long continued standing 
gives rise to congestion in the veins of the legs, and 
thus prepares the way for varicose veins. It also 
tends to produce falling of the womb, as well as con- 
gestion of the organs surrounding it. Loitering 
about, therefore, and standing are things to avoid. 
Nature points out this fact by providing birds who 
stand, such as herons, ibis, and ostriches, with long 
legs devoid of muscles and blood-vessels. They con- 
sist almost entirely of bone, tendon and sinews. 

23. A lady should walk early in the morning, and 
not late in the evening. The dews of evening are 
dangerous, and are apt to give severe colds^, fevers, 
and other diseases. Dew is more likely than rain to 
give cold — 

** The dews of the evening most carefully shun — 
Those tears of the sky for the loss of the sun." 

Chesterfield. 

24. A breath of wind is not allowed to blow on 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — WALKIXG. 19 

many a fair face. The consequence is^ that the 
cheek becomes sallow^ wan^ '^ as wan as clay/^ and 
bloodless ; or if it have a color^ it is the hectic flush, 
which tells of speedy decay ! 

25. Sitting over the fire will spoil the complexion, 
causing it to be muddy, speckled, and sallow. The 
finest complexion in a lady I ever saw belonged to 
one who would never go, even in the coldest weather, 
near the fire : although she was nearly thirty years 
of age, her cheeks were like roses, and she had the 
most beautiful red and white I ever beheld ; it re- 
minded me of Shakspeare^s matchless description of a 
complexion — 

^' 'Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white, 
Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on." 

26. Sitting over the fire will make her chilly, nerv- 
ous, dyspeptic, and dispirited. It will cause her to 
be more chilly, and thus will make her more suscep- 
tible of catching cold ; and it will frequently produce 
chilblains. If she be cold, the sitting over the fire 
will only warm her for the time, and will make her 
feel more starved when she leaves it. Crouching 
over the fire, as many do, is ruination to health and 
strength and comeliness I Sitting over the fire will 
make her nervous ; the heat from the fire is weaken- 
ing beyond measure to the nerves. It will disorder 
and enfeeble her stomach, — for nothing debilitates 
the stomach like great heat, — and thus make her 
dyspeptic ; and if she be dyspeptic, she will, she must 
be dispirited. The one follows the other as surely 
as the night follows the day. 

27. If sitting over the fire be hurtful, sitting with 
the back to the fire is still more so. The back to 



20 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

the fire often causes both sickness and faintness, and 
weakens the spine, and so debilitates the whole 
frame. 

28. A walk on a clear, frosty morning is as exhila- 
rating to the spirits as the drinking of champagne, 
with this difference, that on the day following the 
head is improved by the one but not always by the 
other. Nature^s simple pleasures are the most desir- 
able — they leave no sting behind them ! 

29. There is nothing like a long walk to warm the 
body and to make the blood course merrily through 
the blood-vessels. I consider it to be a great mis- 
fortune that my fair countrywomen do not use 
their legs more, and their carriages less. Walking, 
although it is the primary and perhaps the most 
health-giving of all exercises, is nowadays by no 
means the only resource for women. Bicycling, 
tennis, golf, and for young girls, even cricket, de- 
servedly hold a high position, and are every year 
becoming more popular. Swimming, rowing, and 
punting, are also most useful adjuncts to the athletic 
training of woman. 

The dangers to avoid in bicycling are riding too 
fast and too far. Here the Italian adage, '^ chi va 
piano, va sano, e clii va sano, va lontano,"' is the key 
to the situation. Gently does it. Plus fait douceur 
que violence. With this proviso, I have no hesitation 
in saying that the bicycle will be a new source of 
health and pleasure to thousands. 

Of lawn tennis the same principle holds good as 
in bicycling — take things easily ; play in a double 
set and not in a single. 

Golf is a perfect game for women ; here they can 
walk at their own pace, in fresh air. At golf they 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — EXERCISE. 21 

may ^' drive ''as they like,, no harm results. Their 
lungs are filled with fresh air^ their shoulders ex- 
panded. They tread lightly the verdant pasture 
land. Nothing in the way of healthful exercise, 
incited by an object in vieW;, is to compare with golf. 
30. Unfortunately this is an age of luxury. Every- 
thing is artificial, and disease and weakness, and even 
barrenness, follow as a matter of course. In proof of 
my assertion that this is an age of luxury, look at 
the present sumptuous style of living : carriages roll- 
ing about in every direction; dining- tables groaning 
under the weight of rich dinners, and expensive 
wines flowing like water ; grand dresses sweeping the 
streets, almost doing away with the necessity for 
scavengers. I say, advisedly, streets, for green fields 
are, unfortunately, scarcely ever visited by ladies. 
We are almost in extravagance rivaling ancient Rome 
just before luxury sapped her strength and laid her 



m rums 



! 



31. If a lady has to travel half a mile she must 
have her carriage. Strange infatuation ! Is she not 
aware that she has hundreds of muscles that want 
exercising ? that she has lungs that require expand- 
ing ? that she has nerves that demand bracing ? that 
she has blood that needs circulating ? And how 
does she think that the muscles can be exercised, 
that the lungs can be expanded, that the nerves can 
be braced, and that the blood can be properly circu- 
lated, unless these are all made to perform their 
proper functions by an abundance of walMng exer- 
cise ? It is utterly impossible I 

32. Does she desire to be strong ? Then let her take 
exercise ! Does she hope to retain her bloom and her 
youthful appearance, and still to look charming in 



22 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

the eyes of her husband ? Then let lier take exer- 
cise I Does she wish to banish nervousness and low 
spirits ? Then let her take exercise I There is noth- 
ing standing still in Xature— if it were, creation 
would languish and die I There is a perpetual 
motion ! And so must we be constantly employed, 
when not asleep, if we are to be healthy and strong ! 
Xature will not be trifled with ; these are her laws- 
immutable and unchangeable, and we cannot infringe 
them with impunity — 

'* Labor is Ufe ! Tis the still water faileth ; 
Idleness ever despaireth, bewaileth ; 
Keep the watch wound, for the dark night assaileth; 
Flowers droop and die in the stillness of noon. 

'• Labor is glory ! The flying cloud lightens ; 
Only the waving wing changes and brightens ; 
Idle hearts only the dark future frightens ; 
Play the sweet keys, wouldst thou keep them in tune ! " 

Mrs. Frances Osgood, 

How graphic and beautiful are the following lines of 
Cowper — 

'* By ceaseless action all that is subsists. 
Constant rotation of th' unwearied wheel, 
That Nature rides upon, maintains her health, 
Her beauty, her fertility. She dreads 
An instant's pause, and lives but while she moves." 

The word ^^ fertility ^^ is most appropriate to our sub- 
ject — for how many women does idleness make bar- 
ren ! The number is legion I AVhat a dreadful 
thing it is for a lady — let her station be ever so ex- 
alted — having nothing to do I This is the curse of 
riches ! One of the curses of our favored land. 



IlSTRODrCTORY CHAPTEll. —EXERCISE. 23 

33. If a newly-married ^Yoman be delicate^ as un- 
fortunately^ too many are, she may be made to bear 
exercise well, provided she begin by taking a short 
walk at first — be it ever so short — and by gradually 
increasing it, until she be able to take a tolerably long 
one* She might find it irksome at the beginning, 
and might be inclined to give it up in despair ; but if 
she value her health and happiness, let me urge her to 
persevere, and she may depend upon it that she will 
be amply rewarded for her trouble. 

34. A delicate lady frequently complains of cold 
feet. She has neither suflicient food nor suflicient 
exercise to keep them warm. Walking and plenty 
of nourishment are the best remedies she can use to 
warm them. If they be cold before retiring to rest, 
— a frequent cause of keeping her awake, — let her 
walk briskly for half an hour, before undressing for 
the night, about the hall, or the landing, or a large 
room ; or what is better still, let her have a dance 
with her husband, or a romp with her children, if she 
have any. On a cold winter^s evening it is much 
better to be taking gentle exercise round a billiard 
table than sitting in front of a fire. 

35. Cold feet generally indicate a sluggish circula- 
tion. In addition to what has been advised, let me 
suggest a very easy and grateful remedy. With cold 
feet there is a cold perspiration. IN'ow this perspira- 
tion damps the stockings and shoes worn. The feet 
are, as it were, in a constant cold bath. They cannot 
get warm. You may burn them and the shoes by 
almost putting them into the fire, but you will not 
warm them. Well, the remedy is this — wear woollen 
stockings or silk stockings, and change them ticice a 
day, hanging up the disused pair to dry, and putting 



24 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

on a dry, warm pair instead. The same must be done 
with the shoes or boots that may be worn. 

36. It should be a rule, that ladies who have cold 
feet should never wear patent leather shoes or boots. 
The reason for this is that as the dampness from the 
feet cannot pass through the prepared leather — it does 
fairly well through ordinary leather — the cold moist- 
ure is pent up, and this adds to previous troubles. 

37. Some ladies declare that they are always cold, 
their feet especially, which are as cold as ice ! The 
fact is, they not only do not take exercise enough, 
but they do not take nourishment enough — breakfast 
especially — to keep them warm. Many ladies really 
and truly half starve themselves ; they consider it to 
be vulgar to eat much, and to satisfy tlieir apf)etite I 
They deem it low to take a long walk : every poor 
woman can do that ! It is much more easy and pleas- 
ant, to lounge back in an easy carriage, and to be 
rolled along ! Truly ; but if carriage exercise be 
more agreeable, is it as healthful ? Certainly not. 
There is very little exercise in riding in a carriage, 
but every organ, muscle, nerve, and blood-vessel of 
the body is put into beneficial action by walking. 
Walking is essential to health, and if to health, to 
happiness ; there is no substitute for it ; there cer- 
tainly is no perfect health or perfect happiness with- 
out it. 

38. The reason why my fair countrywomen take so 
much opening medicine is the want of exercise. How 
truly it has been said that ^"^ physic, for the most 
part, is nothing else than the substitute of exercise 
or temperance. ^^ I consider it to be a grievous mis- 
fortune for any one — man, woman or child — who can- 
not, without the frequent taking of physic, keep their 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — EXERCISE. 25 

bowels regular. When such is the case there is some- 
thing wrong, very wrong, about her system and about 
her proceedings^ and the sooner the matter is in- 
quired into and altered the better. The necessity of 
a constajit swallowing of opening medicine is a proof 
of chronic ill-healthy and will in time injure her con- 
stitution beyond remedy. I cannot speak too strongly 
on this subject. I have, in my professional experi- 
ence, seen so much mischief and misery caused by 
the frequent swallowing of opening pills, that I should 
not be doing my duty if I did not raise my voice 
against the bad practice. Why, many ladies make 
it a rule, during the whole of their lives, to take 
opening pills two or three times a week ! The bowels, 
they say, will not act without them ; but I maintain 
that if they would resolutely refrain from swallowing 
them, and adopt the rules of health laid down in 
these pages, they would be able altogether to dis- 
pense with them, to their great benefit and delecta- 
tion. But then the rules of health require trouble 
and perseverance (and what that is worth having does 
not !), while the swallowing of a couple of pills can 
be done quickly, and with very little trouble : but al- 
though the frequent taking of pills gives at the time 
but little trouble, they cause much trouble after- 
wards ! Look, then, at the result of each system, 
and decide accordingly I It has been said that '^ glut- 
tony kills more than the sword '' ; my conviction is, 
that the constant taking of opening medicine kills 
more than gluttony and the sword combined ! The 
abuse of aperients is one of the crying evils of the 
day, and who so proper as a medical man to raise his 
voice to suppress or at all events to lessen, the evil I 
The law of nature is that relief of the bowels should 



2G ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

be as regular a habit as tlie daily course of the earth 
round the sun. Neglect of this law is sure to entail 
general disorder. 

39. If a lady be costive, and is in consequence in- 
clined to take a dose of physic, let me advise her to 
take instead a long walk, which will, in the majority 
of cases, do her much more good. If requiring repe- 
tition, the one is far more agreeable, and the effects 
much more likely to be lasting than the other. Ex- 
ercise, I am quite sure, as a rule, is in the long run 
much more effectual and beneficial and agreeable 
than opening physic ! 

40. A newly-married wife ought to be cautious in 
the taking of horse-exercise. As long as she be not 
pregnant, horse-exercise is very beneficial to health, 
and is a great enjoyment ; but the moment symptoms 
of pregnancy develop themselves she must instantly 
giv^ it up, or it will very probably cause her to mis- 
carry. 

41. Let her breathe the pure air of heaven, rather 
than the close contaminated air either of an assembly 
or of a concert room. The air of an assembly or of 
a concert room is contaminated with carbonic acid 
gas. The gas-lights and the breath of numbers of 
persons give off carbonic acid gas, which gas is highly 
poisonous. The truth of this assertion is patent to 
every one who will observe the effects that a large 
assembly, more especially in the evening, when the 
gas or candles are flaring away, has on the system : 
the headache, the oppression, the confusion of ideas, 
the loss of appetite, the tired feeling, followed by a 
restless night — all tell a tale, and loudly proclaim 
that neither an assembly nor a concert room is a fit 
place for a young wife desirous of having a family. 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — VENTILATION. 27 

42. Let a young married lady attend well to the 
ventilation of her house. She may depend ujiou it 
that ventilation, thorough ventilation, will prove one 
of the best friends she has in the world. Let her 
give directions to her servant to have early every 
morning every window in the house opened, as the 
morning air is fresher and sweeter than it is later in 
the day. For ventilation open your windows both at 
top and bottom. The fresh air rushes in below while 
the foul air escapes above. This opening of the 
window, top and bottom, of course applies only to the 
rooms that are unoccupied ; in an occupied room in 
hot weather one sash only — the upper — should be 
opened. When the upper sash of a window is opened 
the ventilation is perfect. It gives the same result 
as the Tobin^s tube. 

43. Let her give orders that every chimney in 
the house be unstopped ; and let her see for herself 
that her orders have been obeyed ; for servants, if 
they have the chance, will stop up chimneys, as they 
are fully aware that dust and dirt will come down 
chimneys, and that it will give them a little extra 
work to do. But the mistress has to see to the health 
of herself and of her household, which is of far more 
consequence than either a little dirt or extra work 
for her servants. She may rest assured that it is utter- 
ly impossible for herself and for her family to have 
perfect health if the chimneys are allowed to be stop- 
ped. I assert this fearlessly, for I have paid great 
attention to the subject. The apartment, if the 
chimney be stopped, must necessarily become con- 
taminated with carbonic acid gas, the refuse of respi- 
ration, which is, as I have before stated, a deadly 
poison. 



28 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

44. Chimneys^ in many country houses^ are perma- 
nently and hermetically stopped : if we liave the ill- 
fortune to sleep in such rooms, we feel half-suffocated. 
Sleep did I say ? No ! tumble and toss are the right 
words to express our real meaning ; for in such cham- 
bers very little sleep do we get, — unless, indeed, we 
open the windows to let in the air, which, in such an 
extremity, is the only thing, if we wish to get a wink 
of sleep, we can do ! Stopped-up Bedroom chimneys 
is one and an important reason why some persons do 
not derive the benefit they otherwise would do from 
change of air to the country. 

45. I unhesitatingly declare that ninety-nine bed- 
rooms out of every hundred are badly ventilated ; 
that in the morning, after they have been slept in, 
they are full both of impure and of poisoned air. I say, 
advisedly, impure and poisoned air, for the air be- 
comes foul and deadly if not perpetually changed — 
if not constantly mixed, both by day and by night, 
with fresh, pure, external air. Many persons, by 
breathing the same air over and over again, are liter- 
ally ^' poisoned by their own breaths ! ^^ This is not 
an exaggerated statement — alas, it is too true ! Let 
every young wife remember that she requires just as 
much pure air in the night as in the day ; and if she 
does not have it, her sleep will neither refresh her nor 
strengthen her, but that she will rise in the morning 
more weary than on the previous night when she 
retired to rest. 

46. The way, then, to make a house healthy, and to 
keep off disease, is by thorough ventilation — by allow- 
ing a current of air, both by day and by night, to con- 
stantly enter and to sweep through the house, and 
every room of the house. 



IXTRODUCTOKY CHAPTER. — FRESH AIR. 29 

47. Let her, if she can, live in the country ; for 

'* God made the country, and man made the town." 

Cowper. 

In a town, coal fires, manufactories^ many of them 
unhealthy, confined space, the exhalations from the 
lungs and from the skin of the inhabitants, — num- 
bers of them diseased, — all tend to load the air with 
impurities. Moreover, if in the town she desires a 
walk, it is often itself a walk, and a long one too, 
before she can get into the country — before she can 
obtain glimpses of green fields and breathe the fresh 
air ; hence walks in the town do but comparatively 
little good. In the country her lungs are not cheated ; 
they get what they want, — a good article, pure air, — 
and the eye and heart are both gladdened with the 
beauties of Xature. 

48. Cold air is frequently looked upon as an enemy, 
instead of being contemplated as, what it really is to 
a healthy person, a friend. The effect of cold upon 
the stomach is well exemplified in a walk, in frosty 
weather, producing an appetite. 

49. Hot and close rooms, soft cushions, and lux- 
urious couches must be eschewed. I have somewhere 
read, that if a fine, healthy whelp of the bull-dog 
species were fed upon chicken, rice, and delicacies, 
and made to lie upon soft cushions, and if, for some 
months, he were shut up in a close room, when he 
grew up he would become unhealthy, weak, and 
spiritless. So it is with a young married woman ; 
the more she indulges, the more unhealthy, weak, 
and inanimate she becomes — unfit to perform the 
duties of a wife and the offices of a mother, if, indeed^ 
she ever be a mother. 



30 ADVICE TO A AVIFE. 

50. Eich and luxurious ladies are less likely to be 
blessed with a family than poor and hard-worked 
women. But if the hard-worked be poor in this 
world^s goods, they are usually rich in children, and 
^''children are a poor man^s riches.^^ Here is, with 
a vengeance, compensation ! Compensation usually 
deals very justly both to man and womankind. For 
instance, riches and childlessness, poverty and chil- 
dren, laziness and disease, hard work and health, a 
hard-earned crust and contentment, a gilded chamber 
and discontent — 

*' These are ofttimes wedded as man and wife, 
And linked together, hand in hand, through life." 

Riches seldom bring health, contentment, many 
children, or happiness ; they more frequently cause 
disease, discontent, childlessness, and misery. ^^ The 
indulgences and vices of prosperity are far more fatal 
than the privations entailed by any English form of 
distress.^^ — The Times, Riches and indolence are 
often as closely united as the Siamese twins ; disease 
and death frequently follow in their train. " Give 
me neither poverty nor riches " was a glorious saying 
of the wisest of men. Rich and luxurious living, 
then, is very antagonistic to fecundity. This might 
be one reason y^\\y poor curates' wives and poor Irish 
women generally have such large families. It has 
been proved by experience that a diet, principally 
consisting of milk, butter-milk, and vegetables, is 
more conducive to fecundity than a diet almost ex- 
clusively of meat. In illustration of my argument, 
the poor Irish, who have usually such enormous 
families, live almost exclusively on butter-milk and 
potatoes : they scarcely eat meat from year's end to 



I 



INTEODUCTORY CHAPTER. — STERILITY. 31 

yearns end. Riches, if they prevent a lady from hav- 
ing children, are an evil and a curse, rather than a 
good and a blessing ; for, after all, the greatest treas- 
ures in this world are ^^ household treasures ^^ — 
healthy children I If a wife be ever so rich, and she 
be childless, she is, as a rule, discontented and mis- 
erable. Many a married lady would gladly give up 
half her worldly possessions to be a mother ; and well 
she might — children are far more valuable. I have 
heard a wife exclaim with Rachel, ^^ Give me chil- 
dren, or else I die.^^ Truly, the love of children is 
planted deeply in woman^s heart. ^^ The love of 
children is woman's instinct. ^^ 

51. There is in this country, at the present time, a 
great deal of womb disease, much of which, by ju- 
dicious management, might have been altogether pre- 
vented ; but really as long as rich wives live a life of 
excitement, of luxury, of idleness, and of stimulants, 
there will be but little chance of a diminution of the 
same. 

52. Uterine ailment — womb ailment — is a fruitful 
source of a lady^s illness ; indeed, I will go so far as 
to affirm that uterine complaints are almost 
always, more or less, mixed up with a woman^s ill- 
ness ; hence, the womb has, by a medical man, to be 
considered in all the diseases and disorders appertain- 
ing both to girlhood and to womanhood. 

53. If a young wife be likely to have a family, let 
her continue to work heartily and well : but if she 
have been married a year or two without any prospect 
of an increase, let her commence to live abstemiously 
on fresh milk, butter-milk, bread, potatoes, and 
farinacious diet, with very little meat, and no stimu- 
lants luhatever ; let her live, indeed, very much either 



32 ADVICE TO A wifp:. 

as a poor curate^s wife or as a poor Irish woman is 
compelled to live. 

Sterility^ or barrenness^ however, results in a large 
number of cases from a congenital malformation of 
the mouth of the womb. It is small and round, some- 
times not much larger than a pin-hole. This pre- 
vents the entrance of the fertilizing element of the 
husband, and so produces sterility, while at the same 
time it obstructs the exit of the monthly flow, and so 
causes pain at the periods. A simple surgical opera- 
tion, which consists in opening up the contracted 
entrance to the womb, relieves both the sterility and 
the painful periods. 

54. It is not the jioor woman that is cursed with 
barrenness — she has often more mouths than she can 
well fill. The one that frequently labors under that 
ban is the pampered, the luxurious, the indolent, the 
fashionable wife : and most assuredly, until she change 
her style of living to one more consonant with com- 
mon sense, will she continue to be barren. It is griev- 
ous to contemplate that oftentimes a lady, with 
every other temporal good, is deficient of two earthly 
blessings — health and children ; and still more lam- 
entable, when we know that they frequently arise 
from her own seeking, that they are withheld from 
her in consequence of her being a votary of fashion. 
Many of the ladies of the present day, too, if they do 
bear children, are, from delicacy of constitution, 
quite unable to suckle them. Should such things 
be ? But why, it might be asked, speak so strongly 
and make so much fuss about it ? Because the dis- 
ease has become desperate, and delays are dangerous 
— because children among the higher ranks are be- 
coming fewer and far between, Who so proper as a 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — STERILITY. 33 

medical man to raise his voice to proclaim the facts, 
the causes, and the treatment ? I respectfully in- 
quire of my fair reader, is fashion a wife's mission ? 
If it be not, what is her mission ? I myself have an 
idea — a very ancient and an almost obsolete one — 
that the mission of a wife is a glorious mission, far 
removed from fashion, from frivolity, and from folly. 
A fashionable wife, after a fashionable season, is fre- 
quently hysterical and excitable, and therefore ex- 
hausted ; she is more dead than alive, and is obliged 
to fly to the country and dose herself with quinine to 
recruit her wasted energies. Is such a wife as this 
likely to become a joyful mother of children ? I 
trow not. Her time is taken up between pleasure 
and excitement to make herself ill, and nursing to 
make herself well in order that she may, at the 
earliest possible moment, again return to her fashion- 
able pursuits, which have with her become, like 
drinking in excess, a necessity. Indeed, a fashion- 
able life is a species of intoxication. Moreover, wine- 
drinking in excess and a fashionable life are usually 
joined together. Sad infatuation, destructive alike 
to human life and human happiness — a road that 
often leads to misery, disappointment, and death ! 
These are strong expressions, but they are not stronger 
than the subject imperatively demands — a subject 
which is becoming of vital importance to the well- 
being of society, and, in the higher ranks, even to 
its very existence, and which must ere long, engross 
the attention of all who love their country. Fashion 
is a sapper and miner, and is ever hard at work sap- 
ping and undermining the constitutions of its votaries. 
Something must be done, and that quickly, to de- 
3 



34 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

feat its machinations^ otherwise evils will, past 
remedy, be consummated. 

55. AVhile the poor, then, have usually an abun- 
dance of children, the rich have, as a rule, but few 
children. How very seldom we hear of a rich lady 
having three at a birth ? It is no very uncommon 
occurrence for a poor woman to have that number, and 
even as many as five at a birth ! A case of this latter 
kind occurred in AVales : — *^ A woman living on the 
property of Sir AYatkins AV. Wynn presented her hus- 
band, a laborer, with five children at a birth. The 
Queen sent her £7, Twice she has had three at a 
birth, all of whom have lived. A AVelsh correspon- 
dent tells us the poor woman has twenty-two chil- 
dren. ^^ — Shi^ezcsbiirj/ Paper. 

56. I consider thorough abhition of the body every 
morning one of the most important means of health 
to a young wife. A Avarm bath may be taken 
every morning for purjooses of ablution, and not to 
lie in. The time in the bath should not be more than 
seven minutes, which is amjile for washing purposes. 
If prolonged beyond seven minutes a warm bath 
tends to become enervating. There is nothing more 
tonic and invigorating and refreshing than cold ablu- 
tion. Moreover, it makes one feel clean and sweet 
and wholesome ; and you may depend upon it, that 
it not only improves our physical constitution, but 
likewise our moral character, and makes our minds 
more pure and holy. A dirty man has generally a 
dirty mind. 

57. The ewers and basins in our own country are, 
for the purposes of thorough ablution, too small, while 
on the Continent they are still smaller. They are of 
pigmy dimensions, the basins being of the size of an 



i:n^tkoductory chapter. — ablutioks. 35 

ordinary slop-basin, and the ewer holding enough 
water to wash a finger. How can persons with such 
appliances be decently clean, or sweet, or thoroughly 
healthy ? It is utterly impossible. Many people on 
the Continent have a dread of water — they labor 
under a species of hydrophobia ; hence one reason 
why the ewers and basins are of such dwarfish pro- 
portions. 

58. A young wife ought to strip to the waist, and 
then proceed to Avash her face after the following 
manner : — She should fill the basin three parts full 
with water ; then, having well soaped and cleansed 
her hands, she should resoap them, and dip her face 
into the water, after which she should, with her 
soaped hands, well rub and wash her face and ears ; 
having done which, she should take the wetted 
sponge, and go over the parts previously travelled by 
the soaped hands, and then she should dip and wash 
and cleanse her face in the water, and so that part of 
the operation will be done. ISTow for the remaining 
process of ablution. Having well rubbed her neck 
with her soaped hands, she ought thoroughly to 
bathe her neck, her chest, and arms by means of a 
large sponge dipped in cold water — the colder the 
better. - She cannot cleanse her own shoulders, back, 
and loins with a sponge — she cannot get at them. 
To obviate this difficulty she ought to soak a piece of 
flannel, a yard and a half long and half a yard wide, 
folded lengthwise, in cold water, and throwing it over 
her shoulders, as she would a skipping-rope, she 
should for a few times work it from right to left and 
from left to right, '^''and up and down and then 
athwart, ^^ her loins and back and shoulders. This 
plan will effectually cleanse parts that she could not 



36 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

otherwise reach ^ and will be most refreshing and de- 
lightful. She should then put both her hands^ her 
forearms, and her arms into the basin of water as 
far as they will reach, and keep them in for a few 
seconds, or while she can count fifty. The wet parts 
should be expeditiously dried. Then, having thrown 
off her remaining clothes, and merely having her 
slippers on, she ought to sit for a few seconds, or 
while in the winter she can count fifty, or while in 
the summer she can count a hundred, either in a 
sitz-bath, or in a very large wash-hand basin — called 
a nursery basin,* sold for the purpose of giving an 
infant his morning bath, — containing water to the 
depth of three or four inches. While sitting in the 
bath or in the basin, she ought in the winter time to 
have either a small blanket or a woollen shawl thrown 
over her shoulders. If she have any difficulty inget- 
tmg in and out of the basin she should place a chair 
on each side of the basin ; she can then, by pressing 
upon the chairs with her elbows, arms, and hands, 
readily do so. Of course this only applies where a 
bath cannot be obtained. The bath is the most 
simple, expeditious, and satisfactory way of washing. 
59. If a lady be too delicate to take a sitz-bath, or 
if a sitz-bath should not agree with her, then she 
ought every morning to use the bidet, and, w^hile sit- 
ting over it, she should well sponge the parts with 



* A nursery basin holding six or eight quarts of water, 
according to the size of the patient — whether she be either 
a small or a big woman. It will only be necessary to fill it 
about one third full of water ; this, of course, is only 
for the sitz-bath — the sitting bath. The same basin for the 
previous washing ought to liave been three-parts full of 
water. 



I 



IXTKODUCTORY CHAPTER. — ABLUTIOXS. 37 

the water, allowing the water for a few seconds to 
stream over them. Every lady should bear in mind 
that either the sitz-bath or the bidet^ every morning 
of her life (except under certain circumstances), is 
absolutely essential to her comfort and her well- 
being. At firsts until she becomes accustomed to the 
cold (which she Avill do in a few days), she ought to 
use the water tejncl, but the sooner she can use cold 
water, and that plentifully, the better — as it will 
greatly contribute to her health and strength. But, 
as I said before, the process ought to be quickly per- 
formed, as it is the shock in bracing and in strengthen- 
ing the system that does so much good. When a 
lady is very delicate, it may, during the ivinter, be 
necessary to put a dash of tcarm water into the bath, 
in order to take off the extreme chill ; but as she be- 
comes stronger, she will be able to dispense with the 
icai^m w^ater, as the colder the water is, provided she 
can bear it, the more good it will do her. 

60. If her loins or her back be at all weak, the ad- 
dition of a large handful of table-salt, or of a small 
handful of bay-salt, or of Tidman^s sea-salt, dissolved 
in the water in the sitz-bath, will be of great service 
to her. 

61. The feet and legs ought every morning to be 
bathed, not by standing in the water, but, on the 
completion of the washing of the other parts of the 
body, by putting one foot at a time for a few seconds 
(not minutes) in the basin containing the water (the 
basin for that purpose being placed on the floor), 
and well and quickly washing the foot, cither with a 
flannel or with a sponge, and well cleansing wdth the 
finger and thumb between each toe, and allowing the 
water from the sponge or flannel to stream into the 



38 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

basin from the knee downwards. All this, of course, 
must be done expeditiously ; and care ought to be 
taken, after such ablution, to well dry with a towel 
between each toe. The washing of the feet, as above 
directed, will be a great refreshment, and will be 
most beneficial to health, and Avill be a means of 
warding ofE colds, of preventing chilblains, and of 
preserving the feet in a sweet and healthy state. Tlie 
feet ought to be kept as clean, if not cleaner, than 
the hands. Parts that are not seen should be 
kept cleaner than parts that are seen. Filth is apt 
to gather in coverod-up places ; and if filth, erup- 
tions of the skins I There would be very little skin 
disease if people would keej) their skins — the whole 
of their skins — perfectly clean ; but then ablution 
must be daily performed, mnl uo\ l)v fits and starts, 
as is too often the case ! 

G2. The moment she has finished her bath she 
ought quickly to dry herself. I should recommend 
her to use as one of the towels the Turkish rubber ; 
it will cause a delightful glow of the whole body. 

G3. The whole of the body, by the above methoil, 
except the hair of the head, is every morning thor- 
oughly washed. The hair of the head ought occa- 
sionally, even with soap and water, to be cleansed, to 
keep it clean, and sweet and wholesome ; for nothing 
is more dirty, if it be not well attendeii to, than 
human hair, and nothing is more repulsive than a 
dirty head. Brushing of the hair, although bene- 
ficial both to the hair and health, will not alone thor- 
oughly cleanse the hair and scalp. Some ladies 
attempt to clean their hair by simply washing it with 
rosemary, or with rose-water, or with other w:ishes, 
but there is no more effectual way of doing it oc- 



IXTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — THIX HAIR. 39 

casionally than with a flannel and soap and water. 
Bathing in the sea during the season^ provided no 
grease has been previously used, is very good for the 
hair ; it both strengthens the roots and beautifies the 
color. I should advise my fair reader not to plaster 
her hair with grease or with pomade, or with other 
unknown compounds : many of them are apt to make 
the head dirty, scurfy, and sore ; indeed, many a 
nasty eruption is produced by such means. 

64. It might be said that it is utterly impossible 
for a lady to keep her hair tidy unless she use some 
application to it. If such be the case, either a little 
scented castor oil, or cocoa-nut oil, may be applied 
by means of an old tooth-brush, to smooth the hair. 

65. If the hair should fall off, either a little cocoa- 
nut oil or a little scented castor oil, well rubbed 
every night and morning into the roots, is an excel- 
lent dressing. These are simple remedies, and can 
never do any harm, which is more than can be said of 
many quack nostrums, which latter often injure the 
hair irreparably. 

66. If the hair should continue to fall off, the ends 
of the hair ought, every fortnight, to be cut by a 
hairdresser ; this plan will be found most beneficial 
in strengthening the hair, and in keeping it from 
coming off. 

67. The best carpet, either for a bath-room or for 
a dressing-room, is kamptulicon, or linoleum, as the 
water spilt upon it after the use of a bath or ablution 
can, by means of a flannel, be readily absorbed ; 
the window ought then to be thrown wide open, and 
the room will quickly be dried. 

68. It would be well for her, when practicable, to 
have, after she has finished dressing, a quarter of an 



40 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

liour's walk, either in the garden or in the grounds, 
in order to ensure a reaction, and thus to induce a 
healthy glow of the circulation, and to give her an 
appetite for her breakfast. A quarter of an hour's 
walk before breakfast is more beneficial to health tlian 
an hour's walk after breakfast. 

69. If a lady have not been accustomed to a thor- 
ough ablution, as above directed, of her whole body, 
let her if possible, before commencing, take a trip to 
the coast, and have a few dips in the sea ; after whicli 
she might at once go through the processes above ad- 
vised with safety, comfort, and advantage ; but 
whether she be able to bathe in the sea or not, she 
must, if she is to be strong and healthy, gradually 
accustom herself to a daily abhition of the whole of 
her body. The skin is a breatliing apparatus, and 
unless it be kept clean it cannot properly perform its 
functions. Perspiration is another important func- 
tion of the skin. Free perspiration relieves the body 
of various matters which are thrown off by its various 
organs. It relieves the liver and kidneys, thus giving 
them less work to do. The amount of urine voided 
on a hot day is for this reason less than on a cold 
one, when the skin is not acting and all the work is 
thrown on the kidneys. Ladies now-a-days are so 
afraid of perspiring that dress-preservers are de 
rigiieitr. It might be said it will take time and 
trouble daily to cleanse the whole of the skin : it 
will ; but not more than ten minutes, or a quarter of 
an hour to go through the whole of the above pro- 
cesses of bathing and of drying the skin. The acqui- 
sition of health takes both time and trouble ; but 
nothing worth having in this world is done without 
it ! There is no royal road to health ; and althougli 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — ABLUTIONS. 41 

the path at first may be a little rugged aud dis- 
agreeable, it soon becomes from practice smooth and 
pleasant I 

70. Oh I if my fair reader did but know the value 
of tliorougli cold water ablutions, she would not lose 
a day before giving the plan I have above recom- 
mended a trial. It would banish all, or nearly all, her 
little ailments and nervousness ; it would make her 
dispense with many of her wrappings ; it would, in the 
winter time, keep her from coddling and cuddling 
over the iSre ; it would cause her to resist cold and 
disease ; it would, if she were inclined to constipa- 
tion, tend to regulate her bowels ; it would strengthen 
her back and loins ; it would make her blooming, 
healthy, and strong ; and it would pave the way and 
fit her, in due time, to become a mother, and the 
mother of fine, healthy children ! My reader must 
not fancy that I have overdrawn the picture ; I have 
painted it from the life. ^^I only tell what I do 
know, and declare what I do believe.'^ Let me urge 
but a trials and then my fair inquirer will have cause 
to be thankful that she had been induced to carry 
out my views^ and I shall rejoice that I was the 
means of her doing so. Hear what a physician and a 
poet, a man of sound sense and sterling intellect, says 
of the value of ablution. He speaks of ivarm ablu- 
tion, which certainly is at the beginning of using 
tliorougli ablution the best, but the sooner cold can 
be substituted for iimrm the better it Avill be for the 
health, and strength, and spirits of the bather — 

" The warm ablution, just enough to clear 
The sluices of the skin, enough to keep 
The body sacred from indecent soil. 
Still to be pure, even did it not conduce 



42 . ADYICE TO A AVIFE. 

(As much it does) to health, were greatly worth 

Your daily pains ; it is this adorns the rich, 

The want of it is poverty's worst foe. 

With this external virtue age maintains 

A decent grace ! without it, youth and charms 

Are loathsome. " — Armstrong. 

71. With regard to diet, — Although I have a great 
objection (which I will particularize) to a young 
wife taking rich food and many stimulants, yet I am 
a great advocate for an abundance of good whole- 
some nourishment. 

72. The meager breakfasts of many young wives 
(eating scarcely anything) is one cause of so much 
sickness among them, and of so many puny children 
in the world. Let every young wife, and indeed 
every one else, make a substantial breakfast. It is 
the foundation meal of the day ; it is the first meal 
after a long, the longest fast. The meager, miser- 
able breakfast many young wives make is perfectly 
absurd ; no wonder that they are weak, ^^ nervous,^' 
and delicate. A breakfast ought as a rule to consist 
of eggs, or cold chicken, or cold game, or bacon, or 
ham, or cold meat, or mutton chops, or fish, and 
2)lenty of good iread, and not of hot buttered toast, or 
hot rolls swimming in butter. Both of these latter 
articles are like giving the stomach sponge to digest, 
and making the partaker of such food, for the rest of 
the day, feel weak, spiritless, and miserable. If she 
select coffee for breakfast, let the half consist of good 
fresh milk ; if she prefers cocoa, let it be made of 
new milk instead of water ; if she chooses tea, let it 
be llach tea, with plenty of cream in it. Milk and 
cream are splendid articles of diet. Let her then 
make a hearty breakfast, and let there be no mistake 



IXTRODUCTORY CHAPTEK. — DIET. 43 

about it. There is no meal in the day so wretchedly 
managed^ so poor and miserable, and so devoid of 
nourishment, as an English breakfast. Let every 
young wife, therefore, look well to the breakfast, 
that it be good, and varied, and substantial, or ill- 
health will almost certainly ensue. There is an ad- 
mirable work, Tlie Breahfast Book, in which the 
author proves the importance of people making good , 
and substantial breakfasts, and in which he indicates 
the kinds most suitable for the purpose. I have, in 
the text, availed myself of many of his valuable sug- 
gestions. 

73. A meager, unsubstantial breakfast causes a 
sinking sensation of the stomach and bowels, and, 
for the remainder of the day, a miserable depression 
of spirits. Robert Browning truly and quaintly 
remarks — 

' ' A sinking at the lower abdomen 
Begins the day with indifferent omen." 

74. '^ Iso breakfast, no man,^' is a just observation, 
and is equally applicable to the fair sex — ^' no break- 
fast, no woman '' ; for one who is in the regular habit 
of eating but little or no breakfast is not a woman. 
She cannot half perform either a woman^s functions 
or a woman^s duties. This is one and the principal 
reason why a wife, who is a wretched eater of break- 
fast, is usually a wretched nurse to her child. 

75. It frequently happens that a young wafe has 
no appetite for her breakfast. She may depend upon 
it, in such a case, there is something wrong about 
her, and that the sooner it is remedied the better it 
will be for her health, for her happiness, and for her 
future prospects. Let her, then, without loss of 



44 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

time;, seek medical advice, that means may be used 
to bring back her appetite. The stomach in all prob- 
ability is at fault ; if it be, the want of appetite, the 
consequent sensation of sinking of the stomach, and 
the depression of the spirits, are all explained. With 
judicious treatment, all may soon be set to rights. 

76. If the loss of appetite for breakfast arises from 
pregnancy — and sometimes it is one of the earliest 
symptoms — time will remedy it, and the appetite, 
without the necessity of a particle of medicine, will 
shortly, with its former zest, return. 

77. A young married woman's diet ought to be 
substantial, plain, and nourishing. She must fre- 
quently vary the kind of food, of meat especially, as 
also the manner of cooking it. Nature delights in a 
variety of food, of air, and of exercise. If she were 
fed for some considerable period on one kind of meat, 
she would scarcely digest any other ; and, in time, 
either a disordered or a diseased stomach would be 
likely to ensue. I have sometimes heard with pain 
and annoyance a patient advised to live on mutton 
chops, and to have no other meat than mutton ! 
Now this is folly in the extreme. Such an unfortu- 
nate patient's stomach, in the course of time, would 
not be able to digest any other meat, and, after a 
while, would have a difficulty in digesting even mut- 
ton chops, and wretched and ruined health would to 
a certainty ensue. 

78. Three substantial and nourishing meals a day 
will be sufficient. It is a mistaken notion to imagine 
that "little and often'' is best. The stomach re- 
quires rest as much as, or more than, any other part 
of the body : and how, if food be constantly put into 
it, can it have rest ? There is no jpart of the body 



IKTKODUCTORT CHAPTER. — DIET. 45 

more iDiposed and put upon than the human stom- 
ach — 

' ' To spur beyond 
Its wiser will the jaded appetite, — 
Is this for pleasure ? Learn a juster taste, 
And know that temperance is true luxury." 

Armstrong. 

79. It is a mistaken notion, and injurious to health , 
for a young wife^ or for any one else^ to eat^ just be- 
fore retiring to rest^ a hearty meat meal — 

*' Oppress not nature sinking down to rest 
With feasts too late, too solid, or too full."' 

Armstrong. 

80. She will, if a hearty meat meal be eaten, be 
restless, or she will feel oppressed and sleep very 
heavily, awakening in the morning tired and unre- 
freshed : her sleep will not be, as it ought to be — 

" Like infants' slumbers, pure and light.*' — Kehle. 

81. How often we hear a delicate lady declare that 
she can only eat one meal a day, and that is a hearty 
meat meal the last thing at night ; and who, more- 
over, affirms that she can neither sleep at night, nor 
can she have the slightest appetite for any other 
meal but her evening meal, and that she should really 
starve if she could not have food when she could eat 
it ! The fact is, the oppressed stomach oppresses the 
brain, and drives away sleep, and appetite, and health. 
The habit is utterly wrong, and oftentimes demands 
professional means to correct it. 

82. The best supper for a wife, if she suffers much 
from flatulence, is either a crust of bread, or an Aber- 
nethy biscuit, and a glass of sherry ; much slop, es- 



46 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

pecially at night, encourages flatulence. Flatulence 
is a frequent cause of a restless, sleepless night ; in- 
deed, when people cannot sleep at night, the stomach, 
in nine cases out of ten, is at fault. 

83. A slice or a crust of bread and a glass of good 
dry sherry certainly makes a light and easily-digested 
supper, and is thus very conducive to sweet and re- 
freshing sleep. Bread and wine is spoken of in the 
Book of books with great commendation — ^^ AVine 
that maketh glad the heart of man, and bread which 
strengtheneth man's heart. ^' 

84. Some persons sleep better at night without an 
evening meal at all — by going supperless to bed. A 
clear and an empty stomach at bedtime is with them 
the secret of sweet and refreshing slumber. They 
cannot, at one and the same time, do two things — di- 
gest food and sleep ! And as most people can dis- 
pense with food better than they can with sleep, by 
all means let sleep be the first considered. 

85. How is it that sometimes a lady who s an 
excellent appetite is, notwithstanding, very thin t It 
is not what she eats, hut what she digests, that makes 
her fat. Some people would fatten on bread and water, 
while others would, on the fat of the land, be as thin 
as Pharaolr s leankine. Our happiness and our lon- 
gevity much dejoend on the weakness, or on the sornd- 
ness of our stomachs ; it is the stomach,as a rule, 
that both gauges our happiness and that deter- 
mines the span of the life of both men and wo- 
men. How necessary it is then, that due regar^^ 
should be paid to such an important organ, and that 
everything should be done to conduce to the stomach^s 
welfare, — not by overloading the stomach with rich 
food ; not by a scanty and meager diet, but by adopt- 



IKTKODUCTORY CHAPTER. — DIET. 47 

ing a middle course betwixt and between high living 
and low living — the juste viilieu, AYe should all of 
us remember that glorious saying — those immortal 
V7ords of St. Paul — '"^ Be temperate in all things.^^ 

86. Where a lady is very thin, good fresh milk (if 
it agree) should form an important item of her diet. 
Milk is both fattening and nourishing, more so than 
any other article of food known ; but it should never 
be taken at the same meal (except it be in the form 
of pudding) with beer, or stout, or wine : they are 
incompatibles, and may cause derangement of the 
stomach and bowels. Milk would often agree with 
an adult, wiere it now disagrees, if the admixture of 
milk with beer, or stout, or wine were never allowed. 
If she cannot take milk, let her take cream and water. 
Cream, butter, and sugar are fatteners ; but they 
must be given in moderation* or they will disorder the 
stomach, and thus the object will be defeated. Far- 
inace"»"s foods, such as corn-flour and arrow-root, are 
all f -Lcners. Stout, if it agrees, is very fattening, 
much more so than wine. If claret be drunk at all, 
it should be sound and good, and of a first-class vint- 
age. Cheap claret is like many other cheap articles 
—cheap and nasty ! 

87. Let me advise my fair reader to take plenty of 
tim 'over her meals, and to masticate her food well ; 
as nothing is more conductive to digestion than 
thoroughly masticated food. JSTo interruption should 
be allowed to interfere with the meals ; the mind, at 
si-ich times, should be kept calm, cheerful, and un- 
ruffled, for ^^ unquiet meals make ill digestions.^^ 
Many persons bolt their food ! AVhen they do, tliey 
are drawing bills on their constitutions which must 
inevitably be paid ! The teeth act as a mill to grind 



48 ADVICE TO A WIPE. 

and prepare the food for the stomach ; if they do not 
do their proper work, the stomach has double labor 
to perform, and being unable to do it efficiently, it 
and the whole body in consequence suffers. 

88. The teeth being so essential to health, the 
greatest care should be taken of them : they should 
be esteemed among one^s most precious posses- 
sions.* 

89. With regard to beverage, there is, as a rule, 
nothing better for dinner than toast and water, or if 
it be preferred, plain water — 

'' Nought like the simple element dilutes ; " 

and after dinner, one or two glasses of sherry or 
claret. A lady sometimes, until she has had a glass 
of wine, cannot eat her dinner ; when such is the 
case, by all means let a glass of wine be taken, — that 
is to say, let her have it either just hefore or during 
dinner, instead of after dinner ; or let her have one 
glass of sherry hefore or (luri)}g dinner, and one glass 
after dinner. 

90. A young wife sometimes has a languid circu- 
lation, a weak digestion, and constipated bowels ; 
then a glass of sherry rZ?^r^';«Y/ dinner and another glass 
after dinner is beneficial ; and however much she 
might dislike wine, she should be induced to take it, 
as the wine will improve her circulation, will 
strengthen her digestion, and will tend to open her 
bowels. But let me urge her never, unless ordered 
by a medical man, to exceed the two glasses of wine 
daily. 

* On the best means of preserving the teeth and gums, 
see two of my other works — Advice to a Mother and Coun- 
sel to a Mother, 



I 



I^^TRODUCTOKY CHAPTER. — WIXE. 49 

91. If a lady drink wine at all, let it be wine — if 
she can get it ! — there is so much rubbish in the 
market called wine that she cannot be too particular 
in the matter. The only likely way of obtaining it 
genuine is by applying to a respectable wine mer- 
chant, and by paying a fair price for it. Cheap wine 
is dear at any price, and is a conglomeration of nasti- 
ness ! 

92. The old German proverb says, ^^ Wine is not 
made, it grows. ^^ This proverb nowadays is un- 
fortunately not always true. A great deal of the 
wine that is now consumed is made, and does not 
grow, and has never seen the grape at all, but has 
been made in the chemist^s laboratory ; indeed there 
is scarcely any wine that is not more or less ^^ doc- 
tored/^ either with brandy or with something worse ! 
Wine from the pure juice of the grape is a novelty — 
a rara avis—^ndi is beyond the reach of the majority 
of wine drinkers ! ^^If you prescribe tuine, let it be 
wine. Take care that your patient is not the victim 
of those audacious falsifiers, who take spirits, mix 
them with flavoring and sweetening substances, and 
then send them back as wine, at an enormous profit 
to themselves. . . . Medical men calmly order dys- 
peptic patients to take ^ their glass of sherry,^ without 
inquiring whether this is the product of the sun in 
the vineyard or of ^ applied chemistry ^ in tlie labora- 
tory.''— i)r. R. Druit, 

93. If wine does not agree, and a stimulant is nec- 
essary, a tumblerful either of bitter ale or of good 
sound porter ought, instead of water, be taken at 
dinner. But remember, if she drink either beer or 
porter, she must take a great deal of outdoor exer- 
cise ; otherwise it will probably make her bilious. If 

4 



50 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

she be inclined to be bilious, wine is superior to 
either beer or porter. 

94. Wine, beer, and porter do not always agree ; 
some persons enjoy sounder health as thorough tee- 
totalers. Wine, beer, and porter will then irritate, 
excite, and make feverish, and take away tlie appetite. 
Such people are better without stimulants altogether 
— wine, beer, and porter weakening and not strength- 
ening them. It would be folly in the extreme for 
such persons to be forced to swallow such stimulants 
— the more they took the worse they would be. Al- 
cohol in the wine, in the beer, and in tlie porter act 
upon them as a poison — there is no mistake about it. 
Alcohol in excess is a poison, — a deadly poison, as I 
shall presently prove, — and some peculiar constitu- 
tions cannot take it, how^ever minute the quantity, or 
however dilute it be. This is not strange — such per- 
sons have a peculiar idiosyncrasy ; in the same way as 
some people cannot take opium, however minute it 
may be — it makes tliem almost wild, as though tliey 
were insane ; others cannot swallow small doses of 
ipecacuanha without j^roducing violent vomiting and 
faiutness ; while, again, there are some persons who 
cannot take the smallest doses of either calomel or 
blue pill without its inducing severe soreness of the 
gums and excessive salivation. 

95. Brandy ought never to l)e taken by a young 
wife but as a medicine, and then but rarely, and only 
in cases of extreme exhaustion. It would be a mel- 
ancholy and gloomy prospect for her daily to drink 
brandy ; she would, in all probability, in a short time 
become a confirmed drunkard. There is nothing, 
when once regnlarly tahen, more fascinating and more 
desperately dangerous and degrading than brandy- 



IKTRODUCTOEY CHAPTER. — ALCOHOL. 51 

drinking. It has caused the destruction of tens of 
thousands both of men and of women I If a lady 
once takes to reguhir daily brandy-drinking her 
health will as surely melt away as ^^ wax melteth at 
the fire.^^ Oh ! that my feeble voice could be heard 
through the length and breadth of our land^ and be 
the humble means of deterring people from ever 
commencing the insidious^ and hazardous, and dis- 
gusting practice of regular daily brandy-drinking ! 
Eobert Hall had a horror of brandy — and well he might 
have. ^' Call things/'' he says, '^by their right 
names. . . . Glass of brandy and water ! That is 
the current but not the appropriate name ; ask for a 
glass of liquid fire and distilled damnation.^'' — Greg- 
ory's Life of Hall, 

96. A barren lady, in consequence of her being 
barren, is frequently dreadfully depressed in spirits 
— nothing is more depressing to some wives than the 
want of children. Xow, in her fits of depression, 
such a one is apt to fly to si]3S of brandy in order to 
relieve her depression. Oh ! fatal mistake ! She is 
only confirming her barrenness, she is only clenching 
the nail ; as she will, under such treatment, be barren 
for the rest of her life ; for there is nothing more 
conducive to barrenness — there is not a greater enemy 
to conception — than brandy-drinking ; of this I am 
quite convinced ! 

97. A wife ought not, if she feels low, to fly on 
every occasion to wine to raise her spirits, but should 
try the eflEects of a walk in the country, and 

'*Draw physic from the fields in clrcmghts of vital air.'' 

Armstrong, 

98. An excitable wife is a weakly wife ; '^ excite- 



52 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

ment is the effect of weakness^ not of strength/^ 
Wine in large quantities will not strengthen ; but on 
the contrary, will decidedly weaken ; the more the 
wine, the greater the debility and the greater the ex- 
citement — one follows the other as the night the day. 
A person who drinks much wine is always in a state 
of excitement, and is invariably hysterical, weak, 
low, and nervous, and frequently barren. 

99. Alcoholic stimulants in excess are ^^a delusion 
and a snare,^^ and are one of the most frequent causes 
of excitement, and therefore both of weakness and of 
barrenness. Alcohol, pure and undiluted, and in ex- 
cess, is a poison, and is ranked among the deadly 
poisons ; if a person were to drink at one draught 
half a pint of undiluted alcohol it would be tlie last 
draught he or she would ever, in this world, drink, 
— it would be as surely fatal as a large dose of either 
arsenic or strychnine ! Brandy, whisky, gin, and 
wine are composed of alcohol as the principal ingre- 
dient ; indeed, each and all of them entirely owe their 
strength to the quantity of alcohol contained therein. 
Brandy, whisky, gin, and wine, witliout tlie alcohol, 
would, each one of them, be as chip in porridge — 
perfectly inert. Brandy and wine, the former espe- 
cially, contain large proportions of alcohol, and both 
the one and the other, in excess, either 2:)revents a 
wouian from conceiving, and thus makes her barren ; 
or if she do conceive, it poisons the unborn babe 
within her : and it either makes him puny and deli- 
cate, or it downright kills him in the womb, and 
thus causes a miscarriage. If he survives the poison, 
and he be born alive, he is usually, when born, deli- 
cate and undersized ; if such a one be suckled by 
such a mother, he is subjected, if the mother can 



IXTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — ALCOHOL. 53 

nurse him, — which m such cases she rarely can, — to 
a second course of poisonmg ; the mother^s milk is 
poisoned with the alcohol, and the poor, unfortu- 
nate little wretch, having run the gauntlet in the 
womb and having to do so now out of the womb, 
pines and dwindles away, until at length he finds a 
resting-place in the grave ! If you wish to make a dog 
small, give him, when he is a puppy, gin ; the alco- 
hol of the gin will readily do it ; this is a well-known 
fact, and is, by dog-fanciers, constantly practiced. 
If you desire, in like manner, to make a Tom Thumb 
of a baby, give him the milk of a mother or a wet- 
nurse who imbibes, in the form of wine, or of brandy, 
or of gin, alcohol in quantities, and the deed is 
done ! Gin-drinking nursing mothers, it is well 
known, have usually puny children ; indeed, the 
mother drinking the gin is only another way of giv- 
ing gin to the babe — an indirect instead of a direct 
route, both leading to the same terminus — the grave ! 
100. Brandy was formerly sold only by the apothe- 
cary. Brandy is a medicine — a powerful medicine — 
and ought only to be prescribed as a medicine ; that 
is to say, but seldom, in small and in measured quan- 
tities at a time, and only when absolutely necessarv : 
now it is resorted to on every occasion as a panarea 
for every ill ! If taken regularly and in quantities, 
as unfortunately it frequently now is, it becomes a 
desperate poison — a pathway leading to the gra : ; ! 
It is utterly impossible for any person to hold in i i>e 
mouth, for five minutes at a time, a mouthiui of 
neat brandy, without experiencing intense suffering. 
If it have this fearful effect on the mouth, what effect 
must this burning fluid, when taken in quantities, 
have on the stomach ? Injury, most decided injury 



54 ADVICE TO A WIFE, 

to the stomachy and^ through the stomach, disease 
and weakness to the remainder of the body ! Brandy 
is a wonderful and powerful agent : brandy has the 
effect, if taken in excess and for a length of time, of 
making the liver as hard as a board ; brandy in large 
quantities, and in the course of time, has the power 
of making the body marvelously big — as big again ; 
but not with firm muscle and strong sinew, not with 
good blood and wholesome juices — nothing of the 
kind ; but of filling it full, even to bursting, with 
water ! Brandy has the power of taking away a 
giant's strength, and of making him as helpless as a 
little child ! habitual brandy-drinking poisons the 
very streams of life ! It would take more time and 
space than I have to spare to tell of the wonderful 
powers of brandy ; but, unfortunately, as a rule, its 
powers are more those of an angel of darkness than 
those of an angel of light I 

101. If the above statements be true (and they 
cannot be contravened), they show the folly, the ut- 
ter imbecility, and the danger, both to mother and 
to babe, of dosing a wife — be she strong or be she 
delicate, and more especially if she be delicate — with 
large quantities either of wine or brandy. Brandy, 
gin, and whisky act on the human economy very 
much alike ; for, after all, it is the quantity of alco- 
hol contained in each of them that gives them their 
real strength and danger. I have selected brandy as 
the type of all of them, as brandy is a fashionable 
remedy for all complaints. The habit of drinking 
imperceptibly but rapidly increases, until at length, 
in many cases, that which was formerly a tea-spoon- 
ful becomes a table-spoonful, and eventually a wine- 
glassful, with what result I have earnestly endeav- 



IXTKODUCTORY CHAPTER. — ALCOHOL. 55 

ored faithfully to portray. Avoid, then, the first 
step in regular brandy-drinking ; it is the first step 
in this, as in many other things, that of ttimes leads 
to danger and eventually to destruction ! Dr. Parkes, 
in his valuable work on Hygiene, asserts that '^ if al- 
cohol were unknown, half the sin and a large part of 
the poverty and unhappiness in the world would dis- 
appear.'^ Shakspeare was aware of the diabolical 
powers of alcohol when he said, ^'^Othou invisible 
spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, 
let us call thee devil I '^ The Bible, too, gives em- 
phatic testimony of the evil effects of ^^ wine'^ and 
of ^^ strong drink'': — ^^Wine is a mocker, strong 
drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is 
not wise." — Proverbs. 

102. I am quite convinced that one cause of bar- 
renness among ladies of the present day is excessive 
wine-drinking. This is an age of stimulants, and the 
practice is daily increasing. A delicate lady is rec- 
ommended to take three or four glasses of wine daily. 
It seems for the moment to do her good, and when- 
ever she feels low she flies to it again. The conse- 
quence is, that she almost lives upon wine, and takes 
but little else besides ! Who are the fruitful women ? 
Poor women who cannot afford to drink stimulants ; 
for instance, poor Irish women and poor curates' 
wives, who have principally water, and milk, and 
butter-milk to drink. 

103. There is decidedly, among the higher ranks, 
more barrenness than formerly, and one cause of it, 
in my opinion, is the much larger quantity of wine 
now consumed than in the olden times. Many ladies 
now drink as many glasses of wine in one day as 
their grandmothers drank in a week ; moreover, the 



56 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

wine-glasses of the present day are twice the size of 
old-fashioned wine-glasses ; so that half-a-dozen 
glasses of wine will almost empty a bottle ; and many 
ladies now actually drink, in the day, half-a-dozen 
glasses of wine ! 

104. In the wine-growing and wine-drinking coun- 
try of France, barrenness prevails to a fearful extent ; 
it has become there a serious consideration and a 
State question. Wine is largely consumed in France 
by ladies as well as by gentlemen. The usual and 
every day quantity of wine allowed at dinner at the 
restmcrcmts of Paris, for each lady, is half a wine- 
quart bottleful — a similar quantity to that allowed for 
each gentleman. Where a gentleman and a lady are 
dining together, and have a bottle of wine between 
them, it is probable that the former might consume 
more than his own share of the wine ; but whether 
he does or not, the quantity the lady herself drinks 
is sadly too much either for her health or for her 
fruitf ulness. I am, moreover, quite convinced that 
the quantity of wine consumed by French wives is 
not only very antagonistic to their fertility, but like- 
Avise to their complexions. Brandy, too, is now largely 
consumed in France. 

105. Wine was formerly a luxury, it is now made 
a necessary of life. Fruitful women, in olden times, 
were more common than they are now. Riches, and 
consequently wine, did not then so much abound, but 
children did much more abound. The richer the 
person, the fewer the children. 

106. Do not let me be misunderstood : wine and 
brandy, in certain cases of extreme exhaustion, are, 
even for very young children, most valuable remedies ; 
but I will maintain that both wine and brandy require 




INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — ALCOHOL. 57 

the greatest judgment and skill in administering^ and 
do irrej^arable mischief unless they are most carefully 
and Judiciousl}^ prescribed. Wine ought to be very 
rarely given to the young ; indeed^ it should be ad- 
ministered to them with as much care and as seldom 
as any other dangerous or potent medicine. 

107. Statistics prove that wine-bibbing in England 
is greatly on the increase^ and so is barrenness. You 
might say there is no connection between the two. I 
maintain that there is a connection^ and that the al- 
cohol contained in the wine {if wine le taken to ex- 
cess, ivliicli, imfortiinately, it noio frequently is) is 
most antagonistic to fruitf alness. 

108. It is surprising nowadays the quantity of 
wine some few young single ladies at parties can im- 
bibe without being intoxicated ; but whether ;, if such 
ladies marry, they will make fruitful wives, is quite 
another matter ; but of this I am quite sure, that 
such girls will, as a rule, make delicate, hysterical, 
and unhealthy wives. The young are peculiarly sen- 
sitive to the evil effects of over stimulation. Excessive 
wine-drinking with them is a canker eating into their 
very lives. It is time that these facts were proclaimed 
through the length and breadth of our land before 
mischief be done past remedy. 

109. The champagne-cup is a fashionable and 
favorite beverage at parties, especially at dances. 
It is a marvel to note how girls will, in quantities, 
imbibe its contents. How cheerful they are after it ; 
how bright their colors ; how sparkling their eyes ; 
how voluble their tongues ; how brilliant their ideas ! 
But, alas! the effects are very evanescent — dark 
clouds soon overshadow the horizon, and all is changed ! 
How pale, after it, they become ; how sallow their 



58 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

complexions ; how dim their eyes ; how silent their 
tongues ; how depressed their spirits — depression fol- 
lowing in an inverse ratio to over-stimulation ; and if 
depression, as a matter of course weakness and disease I 
The champagne-cup is one of the most fascinating 
but most desperately dangerous and deceptive drinks 
a young girl can imbibe, and should be shunned as 
the plague. Young men who witness their proceed- 
ings admire them vastly as partners for the evening, 
but neither covet nor secure them as partners for life. 
Can they be bhimed ? Certainly not ! They well 
know that girls who, at a dance, imbibe /Vt^/^ of the 
champagne-cup, and wlio, at a dinner-party, drink, 
as some few are in the habit of drinking, four, or five, 
or even six glasses of wine, — that sucli wives as these, 
if ever tliey do become mothers (which is very doubt- 
ful), will be mothers of a degenerate race. It is folly 
blinking the question ; it is absolutely necessary that 
it be looked boldly in the face, and that the evil bo 
remedied before it be too late. 

110. There is an immense deal of drinking in Eng- 
land, which I am quite convinced, is one reason of so 
few children in families, and of so many women being 
altogether barren. It is high time that these subjects 
were looked into, and that the torrent be stemmed, 
ere it overflow its banks, and carry with it a still 
greater amount of barrenness, of misery, and of de- 
struction. 

111. If a lady be in the habit of drinking daily five 
or six glasses of wine, she will, if enceinte, be very 
prone to miscarry ; much more likely than the one 
who drinks, during the same period, only one or two 
glasses of wine. I am quite sure that the alcohol 
contained in the wine, if wine be taken in excess, is 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — ALCOHOL. 59 

very aj)t to kill the babe in the womb. There is 
nothing at all wonderful in this circumstance^ when 
it is considered that undiluted alcohol is one of the 
most deadly of poisons — that a draught of undiluted 
alcohol will cause a person to die almost as certainly 
as though it were a draught of prussic acid I Alcohol 
has more power on the babe in the womb than on the 
mother herself. What is true of alcohol holds good 
of other chemicals absorbed into the system in their 
action on the child in the womb. For instance, 
where a mother who has had several miscarriages, say 
at about the third or fourth month of pregnancy, seeks 
medical advice, and is properly treated during her 
next pregnancy by drugs which will purify her blood, 
she will not miscarry, but give birth to a healthy 
child. Here is a complete demonstration of the action 
on the child of various fluids imbibed by a pregnant 
woman. If, then, a mother is in the habit of mis- 
carrying, she must undergo medical treatment. Some- 
times a trifling operation w^here a lady frequently 
miscarries will put things straight. The doctor will 
quickly decide. 

112. It might be said that the light wines contain 
but little alcohol, and therefore can cause, even if 
taken to excess, but slight injurious effects on the 
constitution. I reply that even light wines, taken in 
quantities, conduce to barrenness, and that, as a rule, 
if a lady once, unfortunately, takes to drinking too 
much wine, she is not satisfled with the light wines, 
but at length flies to stronger wines — to wines usually 
fortifled with brandy, such as either sherry or port 
wine, or even, at last, to brandy itself ! I know that 
I am treading on tender ground, but my duty as a 
medical man, and as a faithful chronicler of these 



f;0 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

mutters, obliges me to speak out j^lainly, witliout fear 
or without favor, and to point out the deplorable 
consequences of such practices. I am quite aware 
that many ladies have great temptations and great 
inducements to resort to wine to cheer them in their 
hours of depression and loneliness ; but unless the 
danger be clearly pointed out and defined, it is utterly 
impossible to suggest a remedy, and to snatch such 
patients from certain destruction. 

113. I am quite convinced of one thing, namely, 
that the drinking of much wine — be it light as claret, 
or be it heavy as port — sadly injures the complexion, 
and makes it muddy, speckled, broken-out, and 
pasty. 

114. It is high time that medical men should speak 
out on the subject, and that with no ^^ uncertain 
sound,^^ before mischief be done past remedy, and 
before our island becomes as barren of children as 
France unfortunately now is. I do not, of course, 
ignore the fact tliat sterility in all countries is arti- 
ficially produced by various proceedings known as 
^^ checks.^'' The morality of such conduct cannot 
meet the approval of evenly balanced minds ; and as 
a rule, the punishment meted out by Nature to those 
who violate her laws is misery and disease. It is 
possible to traverse the laws of man with impunity, 
but never those of Nature. The sun rises every 
morning. 

115. If a lady be laboring under debility, she is gen- 
erally dosed with quantities of wine — the greater the 
debility the more wine she is made to take, until at 
length the poor unfortunate creature almost lives 
upon wine. Her appetite for food is by such means 
utterly destroyed, and she is for a time kept alive by 



IKTRODUCTOEY CHAPTER. — ALCOHOL. 61 

stimulants ; her stomach at length will take nothing 
else^ and she becomes a confirmed invalid^ soon drop- 
ping into an untimely grave ! This is a most grievous 
and^ unfortunately^ in this country^ not an uncommon 
occurrence. Much wine will never make a delicate 
lady strong — it will increase her weakness^ not her 
strength. Wine in excess does not strengthen^ but, 
on the contrary, produces extreme debility. Let 
this be borne in mind, and much misery will then be 
averted. 

116. This is an age of stimulants — it is the curse 
of the day ! Let me paint a case, not an imaginary 
one, but from the life : — A lady in the higher ranks 
is very weak and ^'^ nervous ^^ ; she has no appetite; 
she cannot sleep at night ; she can take no exercise ; 
she is depressed and low — feeling as though she should 
sink into the earth ; her 23ulse is feeble ; she has pal- 
pitations of the heart ; she feels faint after the least 
exertion ; she has neuralgia — pains flying about from 
place to place. She is ordered wine ! she drinks it — 
glass after glass — with momentary relief ; but it is a 
flash in the pan, it is an enemy in the guise of a 
friend ; as soon as the effects are over, she is weaker 
than before ; at length the w^ine alone is not strong 
enough for her ; she feels more depressed than ever ; 
she now drinks brandy as well I She goes on drink- 
ing wine and brandy, more and more and more, until, 
at length, she lives on them — it is her meat and 
drink, her sleep and exercise, her pill and potion, and 
everything else besides ! Stimulants in excess, in- 
stead of giving strength, cause excessive debility. 
Such a patient is never out of the doctor's hands, 
until she falls into those of the undertaker I It is 
folly to expect that a wife, almost living on stimu- 



63 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

lants^ can even for a single day feel well — leaving 
alone the chance of her ever being the mother of 
a family ! It is a blessing that she is never likely to 
be a mother — she could not perform the offices and 
duties of a parent I I am aware that the picture I 
have just j)ainted is grim, hideous, and ghastly, but 
it is, notwithstanding, a faithful likeness, as doctors 
in extensive practice can abundantly testify. Oh, 
that my words could, before it be too late, reacli the 
hearts and consciences and understandings of such 
patients, and thus be the means of snatching them 
from inevitable destruction, and from a disgraceful 
ending ! It might be asked. What in the first in- 
stance caused her illness ? The stomach was at fault : 
it was, from improper management, weak and dis- 
ordered, and quite incapable of doing its needful 
work : hence the whole machine was thrown out of 
gear, and this was, beyond measure, aggravated by 
the subsequent swallowing of so much wine and 
brandy. It might moreover, be asked, AVhat, in 
such a case, is a poor creature to do ? Let her con- 
sult an experienced doctor, and have her stomach 
put in order, and then let her keep it in order, not 
by brandy or by much wine, but by simplicity of 
living — by the rules of health as laid down in these 
pages. 

117. There is in Crabbers Poems a graphic and 
truthful description of the effects of wine on the 
human economy, which I cannot help quoting — 

* Wine is like anger ; for it makes us strong, 
Blind and impatient, and it leads us wrong ; 
The strength is quickly lost ; we feel tlie error long.'' 

118. A woman can bear less alcohol than a man, a 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — ALCOHOL. 63 

delicate woman than a strong one ; but what is the 
ridiculous and reprehensible custom ! Why, the 
weaker a woman is^ the more alcohol is recommended 
to her. And with what result ? ^^ To make confu- 
sion worse confounded '^ — to increase her weakness^ 
until she becomes as weak as a babe I Oh ! foll}% 
folly, the very quintessence of folly I 

119. My deliberate opinion is, and what I have for 
many years held and publicly proclaimed, that no 
woman — be she strong, or be she delicate, and more 
especially if she be delicate — should ever exceed two 
glasses of wine daily — claret, as a rule, being the best 
for the purpose. Beyond that amount, wine becomes 
a slow and insidious poison. Wine beyond two glasses 
gives false strength — excitement ; or, in other words, 
debility and prostration — chronic ill-health and 
hysteria ! 

120. Eemember, then, I am not objecting to a 
lady taking wine in moderation — certainly not ; a 
couple of glasses, for instance, in the day, of either 
sherry or claret, may do her great good ; but I do 
strongly object to her drinking, as many ladies do, 
five or six glasses of wine during that time. I will 
maintain that such a quantity is most detrimental 
both to her health and to her fecundity. The effect 
of the use of wine is beneficial ; but the effect of the 
aiuse of it is deplorable in the extreme. Wine is an 
edged tool, and will, if not carefully handled, as- 
suredly wound most unmercifully. I have not the 
slightest doubt that the quantity of wine consumed 
by many ladies is one cause, in this our day, of so 
much delicacy of constitution. It is a crying evil, 
and demands speedy redress ; and as no more worthy 
medical champion has appeared in the field to fight 



64 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

the battle of moderate wine-drinking, I myself have 
boldly come forward to commence the affray , fervently 
trusting that some earnest men will join me in the 
conflict. I consider that the advocates of a i)lentif ul 
supply of alcoholic stimulants are wrong, and that the 
upholders of total abstinence principles are equally 
wrong ; and that the only path of health and of safety 
lies between them both — in moderation. A teetotaler 
and an advocate of a plentiful supply of alcoholic 
drinks are both very difficult to please; indeed, the one 
and the other are most intemperate. I am aware that 
what I have v/ritten will be caviled at, and will give 
great offense to both extreme parties ; but I am quite 
prepared and willing to abide the consequences, and 
sincerely hope that what I liave said will be tlie means 
of ventilating the subject, which is sadly needed. 
The violence and obstinacy of the contending parties, 
each of whom is partly right and partly wrong, have 
long ago prevented a settlement of the question at 
issue, and have consequently been the means of 
causing much heart-burning, misery, and suffering. 
The Times once pithily remarked, that it would be 
well if the two combatants were ^^to mix their 
liquors.^' 

121. You may as well say that you are not to eat 
because you may gluttonize, as that you are not to 
drink wine because you may get drunk — the one ab- 
surdity is as great as the other. Extremes either in 
eating or in drinking are alike detrimental to happi- 
ness, to health, and to longevity. Blessed is that 
man, or that w^oman, who is '' temperate in all things.^' 

122. The use of wine and the abuse of wine is gra- 
phically, truthfully, and beautifully told in Ecclesias- 
ticits, the advice contained therein being w^ell worthy 



INTKODUCTORY CHAPTER. — ABUSE OF WIXE. G5 

of deep consideration and of earnest attention : — 
'' Wine is as good as life to a man if it be drunk 
moderately : what is life then to a man that is with- 
out wine ? for it was made to make men glad. Wine 
measurably drunk^ and in season, bringeth gladness 
to the heart and cheerfulness of the mind. But wine 
drunken with excess maketh bitterness of the mind, 
with brawling and quarreling. Drunkenness in- 
creaseth the rage of a fool till he offend ; it dimin- 
isheth strength and maketh wounds. ^^ 

123. A wife has a noble mission to perform — to 
stem the progress and to help to destroy the giant 
monster intemperance, who is now stalking through 
the length and breadth of our land, wounding and 
slaying in every direction, filling our hospitals, work- 
houses, lunatic asj^lums, jails, and graves with in- 
numerable victims. 

124. There are three classes of persons who should 
be engaged in such a noble mission, namely, the 
clergyman, the doctor, and the wife ; but the last 
named of * all the three classes has more power and 
persuasion than the other two combined : hence one 
reason of my earnest appeal to her, and of my strenu- 
ous endeavor to enlist her in the holy cause of tem- 
perance. 

125. A young wife ought to rise betimes in the 
morning, and after she be once awake should never 
doze. Dozing is both weakening to the body and 
enervating to the mind. It is a species of dram- 
drinking ; let my fair reader therefore shun it with 
all her might. Let her imitate the example of the 
Duke of Wellington, who whenever he turned in bed, 
made a point of turning out of it ; indeed, so deter- 
mined was that illustrious man not to allow himself 

5 



66 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

to doze after he was once awake, that he had his bed 
made so small that he could not conveniently turn in 
it without first of all turning out of it. Let her, as 
soon as she be married, commence early rising ; let 
her establish the habit, and it will for life cling to 
her — 

** Awake ! the morning shines, and the fresh field 
Calls us ; we lose the prime, to mark how spring 
Our tender plants ; how blows the citron grove, 
What drops the myrrh, and wliat the balmy reed ; 
How Nature paints her color ; how the bee 
Sits on the bloom." — Milton. 

126. It is wonderful how much may be done be- 
times in the morning. There is nothing like a good 
start. It makes for the remainder of the day the oc- 
cupation easy and pleasant — 

*' Happy, thrice happy, every one 
Who sees his labor well begun, 
And not perplexed and multiplied 
By idly w^aiting for time and tide." — Longfellow, 

127. How glorious, and balmy, and health-giving 
is the first breath of the morning, more especially to 
those living in the country ! It is more exliilarating, 
invigorating and refreshing than it is all the rest of 
the day. If you wish to be strong, if you desire to 
retain your good looks and your youtliful api^earance, 
if you are desirous of having a family, rise betimes 
in the morning : if you are anxious to lay the founda- 
tion of a long life, jump out of bed the moment you 
are awake. Let there be no dallying, no parleying 
with the enemy, or the battle is lost, and you will 
never after become an early riser ; you will then lose 
one of the greatest charms and blessings of life, and 
will, probably, not have the felicity of ever becoming 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — EARLY RISIi^G. 67 

a mother ; if you do become one^ it will most likely 
be of puny children. The early risers make the 
healthy^ bright^ long-lived wives and mothers. But 
if a ^yite is to be an early riser^ she must have a little 
courage and determination ; great advantages in this 
world are never gained without ; but what is either 
man or woman good for if they have not those quali- 
ties ? 

128. An early riser ought always to have some- 
thing to eat and drink^ such as a little bread and 
butter/ and either a cup of tea or a draught of new 
milk^ before she goes out of a morning ; this need not 
interfere at the usual hour with her regular break- 
fast. If she were to take a long walk on an empty 
stomachy she would for the remainder of the day feel 
tired and exhausted^ and she would then but most 
unfairly^ fancy that early rising did not agree with 
her. 

129. The early morning is one of the best and most 
enjoyable portions of the day. There is a perfect 
charm in nature which early risers alone can appre- 
ciate. It is only the early riser that ever sees the 
^^ rosy morn/" the blushing of the sky^ which is glo- 
riously beautiful ! 

" See the ros}' morn appearing, 

Paints with gold the verdant lawn, 
Bees on banks of thyme disporting. 
Sip the dews, and hail the dawn." 

Nature^ in the early morning, seems to rejoice and 
be glad^ and to pour out her richest treasures ; the 
birds vie with each other in their sweetest carols ; 
the dew on the grass, like unto myriads of diamonds, 
glittering and glistening and glinting in the rays of 



68 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

the sun ; occasionally the cobwebs on the shrubs and 
bushes^ like exquisite lace^ sparkling with gems ; the 
fresh and matchless perfume and fragrance of tlie 
earth and flowers ; — these, one and all, are gloriously 
beautiful to behold, and can only be enjoyed to per- 
fection in the early morning ; while the majority of 
people, during the choicest period of their existence, 
are sweltering and dozing, and deteriorating botli in 
body and mind, on beds of down, when they ouglit 
to be up, out, and about I Can it be wondered at, 
when such weakening and enervating practices are so 
much in vogue — for luxury is tlie curse of the day — 
that there are so many barren wives in England ? 
It looks, on the first blush, us though many of the 
customs and practices of the present day were to 
cause barrenness ; for assuredly, if they had been in- 
stituted on i^urpose, they could not have performed 
their task more surely and successfully. 

130. It might be said that the dews of the morn- 
ing are dangerous ; but they are not so. Nature is 
having her morning bath, and diffusing health and 
happiness around her. The dews of the early morn- 
ing are beneficial to health, while the dews of the 
evening are detrimental. How truly the poet sings — 

** Dew-drops are the gems of morning, 
But the tears of mournful eve ! " — Coleridge. 

131. Early rising imparts health to the frame, 
strength to the muscles, and comeliness to the coun- 
tenance ; it clears the brain, and thus brightens the 
intellect ; it is a panacea for many of the ills of life, 
and unlike many panaceas, it is both simple and 
pleasant in its operation ; it calms the troubled 
breast ; it gives a zest to the after employments and 



IKTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — EARLY RISIXG. CO 

pleasures of the day ; and makes both man and 
woman look up from ^^nature^s works to nature's 
God!" 

132. Early rising rejuyenizes the constitution ; it 
makes the middle-aged look young, and the old look 
middle-aged ; it is the finest cosmetic in the world, 
and tints the cheeks with a bloom the painter emu- 
lates but in vain I On the other hand, late rising 
adds years to the looks, fills the body with aches and 
pains, and the countenance with crow-feet and 
wrinkles ; gives a yellowness and pimjDles to the face, 
and depression to the spirits. Aged looks and ill- 
health invariably follow in the wake of late rising. 

133. If a mistress rises earl}^, the servants are likely 
to follow suit ; a lazy mistress is almost sure to have 
lazy servants ; the house becomes a sluggard's dwell- 
ing ! Do not let me be misunderstood ; I do not rec- 
ommend any unreasonable hours for rising in the 
morning ; I do not advise a wife to rise early for the 
sake of rising early ; there would be neither sense 
nor merit in it ; I wish her to have her full comple- 
ment of sleep — seven or eight hours ; but I do advise 
her to go to led early, in order that she may rise 
early. I maintain that it is the duty of every wife, 
unless prevented by illness, to be an early riser. 
This last reason should have greater weight with her 
than any other that can possibly be brought forward ! 
All things in this world ought to be done from a 
sense of duty ; duty ought to be a wife's and every 
other person's pole-star ! 

134. There is a w^onderful and glorious object in 
creation which few, very few, ladies, passing strange 
though it be, have ever seen — the rising of the sun ! 
The few who have seen it are, probably, those who 



70 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

have turned night into day^ who are returning home 
in the early mornings, jaded and tired^ after dancing 
the whole of the previous night. These, of course, 
cannot enjoy, and most likely do not even see the 
magnificent spectacle of the sun, ^^ which cometh 
forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and re- 
joiceth as a strong man to run his course/^ 

135. I am not advising my fair reader to rise every 
morning with the rising of the sun — certainly not ; 
but if she be an early riser, she might occasionally 
indulge herself in beholding the glorious sight ! 

13G. ^'The top of the morning to you ^' is a fa- 
vorite Irish salutation, and is very expressive and 
complimentary. ''The top of the morning'^ — the 
early morning, the time when the sun first rises in 
his majesty and splendor — is the most glorious, and 
health-giving, and best part of the whole day ; when 
nature and all created beings rejoice and are glad — 

" But mighty Nature bounds us from her birth, 
The sun in the heavens, and Hfe on earth ; 
Flowers in the valley, splendor in the beam, 
Health in the gale, and freshness in the stream." — 

Byron, 

137. Let a young wife, if she be anxious to have a 
family and healthy progeny, be in bed betimes. It 
is impossible that she can rise early in the morning 
unless she retires early at night. '' One hour's sleep 
before midnight is worth three after. ""' Sleep before 
midnight is most essential to health, and if to health, 
to beauty ; hence, sleep before midnight is called 
ieaitty'SJeej) ! The finest cosmetic is health ! 

138. She ought to pay particular attention to the 
ventilation of her sleeping apartment, and she her- 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTEE. — YEXTlLATIO:t^. 71 

self^ before leaving her chamber in the morning, 
ought never to omit to open the windows ; and in 
the summer, if the room be large, she should during 
the night leave, for about two or three inches, the 
window-sash open. If the room be small, it will be 
desirable to have, instead of the window, the door 
(secured from intrusion by a door-chain) unclosed ; 
and to have, as well, either the skylight or the land- 
ing window open. There ought, by some means or 
other, if the inmates of the room are to have sweet 
and refreshing sleep, to be thorough ventilation of 
the sleeping apartment. I have no patience to hear 
some men — and there are such men ! — assert that it 
is better to sleep in a close room — in a foul room ! 
They might, with equal truth, declare that it is de- 
sirable for a healthy person to swallow every night a 
dose of arsenic in order to prolong his life! Car- 
bonic acid gas is as truly a poison as arsenic ! ^^ If 
there be a dressing-room next to the bedroom, it will 
be well to have the dressing-room window, instead of 
the bedroom window, open at night. The dressing- 
room door will regulate the quantity of air to be ad- 
mitted into the bedroom, opening it either little or 
much as the weather might be cold or otherwise. ^^ 
The idea that it will give cold is erroneous ; it will 
be more likely, by strengthening the system and by 
carrying off the impurities of the lungs and skin, to 
prevent cold. 

139. Some persons, accustomed all their lives to 
sleep in a close, foul room — in a room contaminated 
with carbonic acid gas — cannot sleep in a fresh, well- 
ventilated chamber, in a chamber with either door or 
window open ; they seem to require the stupefying 
effects of the carbonic acid gas, and cannot sleep 



72 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

without it ! If such be the case, and as sleep is of 
such vital importance to the human economy, let 
both window and door be closed ; but do not, on any 
account, let the chimney be stopped, as there must 
be, in a bedroom, ventilation of some kind or another, 
or ill-health will invariably ensue. 

140. It is madness to sleep in a room without 
ventilation — it is inhaling poison ; for the carbonic 
acid gas, the refuse of respiration, which the lungs 
are constantly throwing off, is a poison, — a deadly 
poison, — and, of course, if there be no ventilation, a 
person must breathe tliis carbonic gas mixed with the 
atmospheric air. Hence the importance, the vital 
importance, of an open chimney or of an open win- 
dow, or of both. Tlie chimney, then, even if the 
window be closed, ought never to be stopped ; and 
the window, either of the bedroom or of the dressing- 
room, should not be closed, even in the night, unless 
the weather be either very wet or bitterly cold. I 
should strongly recommend my fair reader, and, in- 
deed, every one else, to peruse the good and talented 
Florence Nightingale's Notes on Nursing, They 
ought to be written in letters of gold, and should be 
indelibly impressed on the memory of every one who 
has the interest of human life and happiness at heart. 
Florence Nightingale declares that no one lohile in heel, 
ever catches cold from proper ventilation, I believe 
her ; and I need not say that no one has had more 
experience and better opportunities of judging about 
what she writes, than this accomplished authoress. 

141. I fearlessly assert that no one can sleejo 
sweetly and refreshingly unless there be thorough 
ventilation of the chamber. She may have, in an 
unventilated apartment, heavy, drowsy, death-like 



mTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — SLEEP. 73 

sleep, and well she may ! She is under the stupefy- 
ing effects of poison ; the carbonic acid gas^ which 
is constantly being evolved from the lungs, and 
which wants a vent, but cannot obtain it, is, as I have 
before remarked, a deadly poison ! She may as well 
take every night a stupefying opiate, as breathe 
nightly in a bedroom charged with carbonic acid 
gas ; the one would in the long run be as pernicious 
as the other. To show the power of carbonic acid gas 
in sending people to sleep, we have only to notice a 
crowded church of an evening, when, even if the 
preacher be an eloquent man, the majority of the con- 
gregation is fast asleep — is, in point of fact, under the 
soporific influence of the carbonic acid gas, the church 
being at the time full of it. Carbonic acid gas is as 
certain, if not more certain, to produce a heavy 
death-like slumber as either numbing opium or 
drowsy poppy ! 

142. I moreover declare that she cannot have sweet 
refreshing sleep at night unless during the day she 
takes plenty of exercise, and unless she have an 
abundance of active, useful occupation. Occupation 
— active, useful occupation — is the best composing 
medicine in the world ; and the misfortune of it is, 
that the wealthy have little or no occupation to cause 
them to sleep. Pleasure they have in abundance, 
but little or no real occupation. '' The sleep of a 
laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much : 
but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to 
sleep. ^' — Ecclesiastes, 

143. Sleep is of more consequence to the human 
economy even than food. Nothing should therefore 
be allowed by a young wife to interfere with sleep. 
And, as the attendance on large assemblies, balls. 



74 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

and concerts sadly, in every way, interferes with sleep, 
they ought one and all to be sedulously avoided. 

144. As exercise is very conducive and provocative 
of sleep — sound, sweet, child-like sleep — exercise 
must be practised, and that not by fits and starts, but 
regularly and systematically. 81ie ought, then, dur- 
ing the day, with exercise and with occupation, to 
tire herself, and she will then have sweet refreshing 
sleep. But some ladies never do tire themselves ex- 
cept with excitement ; they do not know what it is 
to be tired, either by a long walk or by household 
work. They can tire themselves with dancing at a 
ball : poor fragile creatures can remain up the whole 
night waltzing, quadrilling, and galloping, but would 
be shocked at the idea and at the vulgarity of walk- 
ing a mile at a stretch ! Poor creatures I they are to 
be pitied ; and if they ever marry, so are their hus- 
bands. Are such wives as these likely to be mothers, 
and if they are, are their ofTspring likely to be strong ? 
Are such wives as these likely to be the mothers of 
our future warriors, of our future statesmen, and of 
our other worthies — men of mark who — 

" Departing, leave behind them 
Footprints on tlie sands of time ! " 

145. Sleep is one of the best gifts of Providence. 
Sleep is a comforter, a solace, a boon, a nourisher, a 
friend. Happy, thrice happy, is a wife who can sleep 
like unto a little child I AVhen she is well, what a 
comfort is sleep ; when she is ill, what a soother of 
pain is sleep ; when she is in trouble, what a precious 
balm is sleep ! 

146. Shakspeare, our noblest poet and shrewdest 
observer of Nature, thoroughly knew the value and 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — SLEEP. 75 

importance of sleep to the human economy ; his writ- 
ings are full of its j^raises ; on no other subject does 
he descant more lovingly or well, as the following 
quotations, called at random, will testify. In one place 

he says — 

*' Tliy best of rest is sleep.'' 

In another place — 

** Sleep, gentle sleep, 
Nature's soft nurse. " 

In a third — 

'* Sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care, 
The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath, 
Balm of hurt minds, great Nature's second course, 
Chief nourisher in life's feast." 

In a fourth — 

*' Downy sleep, death's counterfeit." 

In a fifth — 

" And sleep that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye." 

Many other extracts from his plays, bearing out my 
assertions, might, if time and space allowed, be ad- 
duced. 

147. A luxurious, idle wife cannot sleep ; she, night 
after night, tumbles and tosses on her bed of down. 
What has she done during the day to tire herself, and 
thus to induce sleep ? Alas I nothing. She in conse- 
quence never experiences — 

'* Tired Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep."— Fo?«ig. 
For, after all, outdoor exercise and useful occupation 
are the best composing medicines in the world ! 
Many an idle lady who cannot sleep, instead of taking 
exercise, takes opiates — 

*'To steep the senses in forget fulness." 



76 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

The constant taking of exercise is most beneficial, 
strengthening alike both the bodily and mental facul- 
ties ; while the constant taking of opiates is most inju- 
rious, weakening alike both the body and mind. Un- 
fortunately, in this our day, there is too much of the 
one and too little of the other taken ; but in this, as in 
everything else, a reckoning day is sure to come, when 
old scores must, to the uttermost, be paid. Do not 
let me be misunderstood ; opiates in many diseases 
are invaluable, but, like all valuable but powerful 
medicines, require the judgment and the discrimina- 
tion of a doctor in their administration. 

148. The frequent swallowing of an opiate is a species 
of dram-drinking, another form — a worse form — of in- 
toxicating liquors ; it is like brandy, — if lavislily and 
not judiciously given, — it can only have but one termi- 
nation — the grave ! Oh I if a wife would think a little 
more of God's grand remedies, — exercise and fresh air, 
— and a little less of man's puny inventions — opiates — 
how much better it would be for her, and for all con- 
nected with her. 

149. The taking of opiates is, moreover, ^fashion- 
able method of intoxication ; but it is far worse in its 
effects than is even brandy-drinking. Now, the quack- 
ing by powerful agents is the quintessence of folly, of 
f oolhardiness. Of folly in attempting to procure sleep 
by artificial means, when natural means — nature's 
remedies — should be used : of f oolhardiness, to admin- 
ister poison, to play with edged tools, to gamble with 
loaded dice — the stakes being too frequently death ! 
Opiates, in certain diseases, when prescribed by a 
medical man, are most valuable ; but for patients 
themselves to prescribe them for themselves is quite 
as perilous as patients inhaling chloroform by them- 



WTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — OPIUM HABIT. 77 

selves ; indeed^ opiates, like chloroform, require skill- 
ful handling, careful watching, and strict supervision. 
150. Encompassed as she is with every luxury — par- 
taking of all the delicacies of the season, of the richest 
viands, and of the choicest wines — decked out in 
costly apparel — reclining on the softest cushions — sur- 
rounded with exquisite scenery, with troops of friends 
and with bevies of servants ; — yet, notwithstanding 
all these apparent advantages, she is oftentimes one 
of the most debilitated, complaining, ^^ nervous,^^ 
hysterical, and miserable of mortals. The causes of 
all these afflictions are — she has nothing to do ; she 
is overwhelmed with prosperity ; she is like a fire that 
is being extinguished in consequence of being over- 
loaded with fuel ; she is being killed with overmuch 
kindness ; she is a drone in a hive where all must 
work if they are to be strong and well, and bright 
and cheerful ; for labor is the lot of all and the law for 
all, for '^ God is no respecter of persons.'" The reme- 
dies for a lady affected as above described are simple 
and yet efficacious — namely, simplicity of living, and 
an abundance of outdoor exercise and of useful occu- 
pation. It would be to the manifest advantage of 
many a fair dame if she were obliged to put down her 
close carriage, and compelled to w^alk instead. Hid- 
ing in close carriages nurses many ailments which 
walking would banish ; a brisk walk is the best tonic 
and the most reviving medicine in the world, and 
would prevent the necessity of much nauseous physic. 
Nature's simple remedies are oftentimes far superior 
and far more agreeable than any to be found in the 
Pharmacopoeia. It would have been a blessing to 
many a rich, indolent, and luxurious lady if she had 
been born in a lower rank — in one in which she would 



78 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

have been compelled to Avork for her daily bread ; if 
she had been^ she would, in many instances, have 
been far happier and healthier — 

** Verily 
I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born, 
And range with humble livers in content, 
Than to be perked up in a glistering grief, 
And wear a golden sorrow." — Shakspeare. 

151. Indolence and luxury kill more than hard 
work and hard fare ever did or ever will kill. Indo- 
lence and luxury are slow poisons ; they destroy by 
degrees, and are in the end as certain in their delete- 
rious effects as either arsenic or deadly nightshade — 

*' Come hither, ye tliat press your beds of down, 
And sleep not ; see him sweating o'er his bread 
Before he eats it. " Tis the primal curse, 
But softened into inercy — made the pledge 
Of cheerful days, and nights without a groan." — Coivper. 

152. An active, industrious, nsef ul wife, on the con- 
trary, sleeps like a little child : for exercise and use- 
ful occupation cause sweet and refreshing sleej) — 

** Not poppy, nor mandragora. 
Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world. 
Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep." 

Shakspeare, 

153. How often we hear a rich lady complain that 
she has no appetite ; she is, in the midst of plenty, 
half-starved ! What exercise has she taken, what use- 
ful work has she done, to ensure an appetite ? The 
poor woman, on the contrary, who labors for her 
living, has often a keener appetite than she has the 
means to gratify — a crust with her is delicious, '^ hun- 



IKTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — LIGHT. 79 

ger being the best sauce. ^^ How true it is that 
fortune — 

'^ Either gives a stomach, and no food, — 
Such are the poor, in health ; or else a feast, 
And takes away the stomach, — such are the rich, 
That have abundance, and enjoy it not." — Shakspeare. 

154. I must not forget to speak of the paramount 
importance in a dwelling of an abundance of light — of 
daylight. Light is life^ light is healthy light is a 
physician^ light is a beautifier^ light is a comforter. 
Light is life : the sun gives life as well as light ; if it 
were not for the sun^ all creation would wither and die. 
There is ^*^no vitality or healthful structure without 
light.""^ — Dr\ Forbes Winslow, Light is health : it 
oxygenizes the bloody and renovates and invigorates 
the frame. Light is a physician : it drives away many 
diseases, as the mists vanish at the approach of the 
sun ; and it cures numerous ailments which drugs 
alone are unable to relieve. Light is a beautifier : it 
tints the cheeks with a roseate hue, and is far superior 
to ^^ cosmetic, wash, or ball.^^ Light is a comforter : 
it brightens the countenance, cheers the heart, and 
drives away melancholy — 

*' Prime cheerer, light ! 
Of all material beings first and best." — Thomson, 

It is a glorious fact to know, that — 

" There's always sunshine somewhere in the world." 

For the sun '' goeth forth from the uttermost part of 
the heaven, and runneth about unto the end of it again: 
and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.'" 

155. Look at the bloom on the face of a milkmaid ! 
What is it that tints her cheek ? An abundance of 



80 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

light. Behold the pallid^ corpse-like countenance of 
a factory-girl ! What blanches her cheek ? The 
want of light, of air, and of sunshine. 

156. A room, then, ought to have large windows, 
in order that the sun may penetrate into every nook 
and corner of the apartment. A gardener thoroughly 
appreciates the importance of light to his flowers ; he 
knows, also, that if he wishes to blanch some kinds 
of vegetables — such as celery and sea-kale — he must 
keep the light from them : and if my fair reader 
desires to blanch her own cheeks, she ought to keep 
the light from them ; but, on the otlier hand, if she 
be anxious to be healtliy and rosy, she must liave 
plenty of light in her dwelling. 

157. The want of light stunts the growth, dims 
the sight, and damps tlie spirits. Miners, who live a 
great part of their lives in the bowels of the earth, 
are generally stunted ; prisoners, confined for years 
in a dark dungeon, frequently become blind ; people 
who live in dark houses are usually melancholic. 

158. Light banishes from rooms foulness, f ustiness, 
mustiness, and smells. Light ought, therefore, to be 
freely allowed to enter every house, and be esteemed 
as the most welcome of visitors. Let me then advise 
every young Avife to admit into her dwelling an 
abundance of light, of air, and of sunshine. 

159. There is nothing like letting daylight into 
dirty places : the sun is the best scavenger, purifier, 
and disinfector ; but the sun itself cannot be con- 
taminated by filth, for ^^the sun, though it passes 
through dirty places, yet remains as pure as be- 
fore.^^ 

160. Some ladies, to keep off the sun, to prevent it 
from fading the furniture, have in the summer-time 



II 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.— TIGHT LACIIl^-G. 81 

all the blinds of the windows of the house down. 
Hence they save the fading of their furniture, and, 
instead of which, they fade their own and their chil- 
dren's cheeks. Many houses, with all their blinds 
down, look like so many prisons, or as if the inmates 
were in deep affliction, or as if they were performing 
penance ; for is it not a penance to be deprived of 
the glorious light of day, which is as exhilarating to 
the spirits as, and much more beneficial than, a glass 
of champagne ? 

161. It is a grievous sin to keep out from a dwell- 
ing the glorious sunshine. We have heard of '^a 
trap to catch a sunbeam '' : let the open window be a 
trap, and a more desirable prize cannot be caught 
than a sunbeam. Sunbeams, both physical and 
metaphorical, make a house a paradise upon earth ! 
They are the heritage of the poor as well as of the 
rich. Sunshine is one of our greatest, purest, and 
cheapest enjoyments — 

** O, 'tis the sim that maketh all things shine." 

Shakspeare. 

There is in Ecclesiastes a beautiful passage on the 
effects of light : ^^ Truly the light is sweet, and a 
pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun."' 

162. Let me strongly caution the newly-made wife 
against the evil effects of tight lacing. The waist 
ought, as a rule, to be from twenty-seven to twenty- 
nine inches in circumference ; if, therefore, she binds 
and girds herself in until she be only twenty-three 
inches, and in some cases until she be only twenty- 
one inches, it must be done at the expense of com- 
fort, of health, and happiness. If stays be worn 
tightly, they press down the contents of the lower 

6 



83 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

parts of the abdomen.* This might prevent a lady 
from having a family^ or produce a miscarriage. 
Tight lacing was in olden times a frequent cause of 
miscarriage. I am sorry to find that the reprehensible 
practice has been again advocated^, and become fashion- 
able. The result^ if tight lacing be adopted in preg- 
nancy^ will frequently be miscarriages^ or premature 
labor, or still-born children. 

163. Tight lacing is a frequent cause of displace- 
ment of the womb ; inclining the womb, as the case 
may be, either backwards or forwards. I have en- 
tered so fully into the evil effects of tight lacing in 
my two other books, Advice to a Mother and Covnsel 
to a Mother, that I consider it quite unnecessary to 
say more in this place on the subject. Moreover, it 
is not so necessary now as in the early editions of my 
two works to dwell upon the subject, as, I am happy 
to say, the evil effects of tight lacing are at the 
present time better understood. Stays used to be 
formidable-looking apparatuses ; indeed, they were 
instruments of torture. Now they are more simple, 
and therefore more suitable. I am sorry to say that, 
even at the present day, there are some few persons 
endeavoring to revive the reprehensible and dan- 
gerous practice of tight lacing. Such individuals 
are either interested parties or simpletons ! More- 
over, tight lacing, in addition to causing displace- 
ments, either backwards, forwards, or downwards of 
the Avomb, produces organic disease of the liver. It 
impedes the action of the lungs, heart, and general 



* The Abdomen. — That part of the body from the level of 
the lowest part of the breast-bone to, say, five inches below 
the level of the hips. 



Iiq-TRODUCTOKY CHAPTEK. — DRESS. 83 

circulation of the body. It produces indigestion 
and yet women persist in tight lacing. The French 
adage^ ^^11 faiit soitffrir pour etre beau/' comes in 
here with a vengeance — if^ indeed^ a small waist is a 
beauty ; it is not seen in the Venus of Milo. 

164. There is no doubt that tight lacing is a great, 
if not a princij)al cause of constipation. It has been 
found that when the waist is loose the bile can flow 
freely into the bowels, and so the food taken can 
have a sufficient quantity of it to act on it as it 
passes through the body. When tight lacing is 
resorted to, the quantity of bile is diminished by one 
half, at least, if it be not almost stopped. Then 
follows all kinds of ailments — headache, jaundice, 
and other evils. The matter may not rest here, but 
go on to actual disease and death. 

165. Let her dress be loose, and be suitable to the 
season. She ought not to adopt the fashion of wear- 
ing in the morning warm clothes with long sleeves, 
and in the evening thin dresses with short sleeves. 

166. If a young wife be delicate, and if her circula- 
tion be languid, a flannel vest should be worn next 
the skin, in the day-time, both winter and summer. 
Scarlet is, in such a case, a favorite color, and may 
be selected for the purpose. It is important that it 
should be borne in mind that the wearing of flannel 
next the skin is more necessary in the summer than 
in the winter-time. A lady, in the summer, is apt, 
when hot either from the weather or from exertion, 
to get into a draught to cool herself, and, not wear- 
ing flannel next the skin, she is almost sure at such 
times to catch a cold. Now, flannel being a bad 
conductor of heat, keeps the body at a tolerably equal 
temperature, and thus materially lessens the risk. 



84 ADVICE TO A WIFE, 

When it is considered that many of the diseases 
afflicting humanity arise from colds, the value of 
wearing flannel next the skin as a preventive is at 
once apparent. 

167. Never was there such a time as the present 
when more thought was given to dress. Grand 
dresses now sweep our dirty streets and thorough- 
fares ; rich velvets, silks, and satins are as plentiful 
as dead leaves in autumn. '' There is so much to gaze 
and stare at in the dress, one^s eyes are quite dazzled 
and weary, and can hardly pierce through to that 
which is clothed upon.^^ Dress is becoming a crying 
evil ; many ladies clothe themselves in gorgeous ap- 
parel at the expense of household comforts, and even 
of household necessaries — 

** We sacrifice to dress, till household joys 
And comforts cease. Dress drains our cellars dry, 
And keeps our larder lean — puts out our fires, 
And introduces hunger, frost and woe, 
Where peace and hospitality might reign." — Cotvper. 

168. It might be said. What has all this to do with 
the health of a wife ? I reply, much. The customs, 
habits, and luxuries of the present day arc very antag- 
onistic both to health and to fecundity ; they can 
only make work for the doctor, and gladden the 
hearts of those who preach the doctrine of the eligi- 
bility of small families ! 

169. She must not coddle, nor should she unneces- 
sarily muffle up her throat with furs. Boas are a 
frequent cause of sore throats and quinsies, and there- 
fore the sooner they are discarded the better. 

170. There is something besides dress and amuse- 
ments to make a young wife healthy and happy, and 
to look young. That something is constant employ- 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — DRESS. 85 

ment — housewifery being especially beneficial for the 
purpose — 

'* Oh, if to dance all night, and dress all day. 
Charmed the small-pox, or chased old age away. 
Who would not scorn what housewife's cares produce, 
Or who would learn one earthly thing of use ? '* — Pope, 

171. A good wife dresses to please her husband — 
to look lovely in his sight — to secure him in her cage, 
whom she has already caught in her net — 

' ' She's adorned 
Amply that in her husband's eye looks lovely, — 
The truest mirror that an honest wife 
Can see her beauty in." — Tohin. 

Swift truly says that^ ^ ^ The reason why so few 
marriages are happy is because young ladies spend 
their time in making nets, not in making cages. *^ 

172. If my gentle reader will freely use cold water 
ablutions, she will find that she will not require nearly 
so much clothing and muffling up. It is those who 
use so little water who have to wear so mtich clothing, 
and the misfortune of it is, the more clothes they 
wear, the more they require. Many young people 
are wrapped and muffled up in the winter-time like 
old folks, and by coddling they become prematurely 
old — frightened at a breath of air and at a shower of 
rain, and shaking in their shoes at an easterly wind ! 
Should such things be ? 

173. Pleasure to a certain degree is as necessary to 
the health of a young wife, and to every one else, as 
the sun is to the earth — to warm, to cheer, and to in- 
vigorate it, and to bring out its verdure. Pleasure, 
in moderation, rejuvenizes, humanizes, and improves 
the character, and expands and exercises the good 



86 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

qualities of the mind ; but^ like the sun, in its in- 
tensity, it oppresses, dries up, and withers. Pleas- 
ures kept within due bounds, are good ; but in excess 
are utterly subversive of health and happiness. A 
wife who lives in a whirl of pleasure and excitement 
is always weakly, and " nervous, ^^ and utterly unfitted 
for her duties and responsibilities ; and the mis- 
fortune of it is, the more pleasure she takes, the 
more she craves for — 

*' As if increase of appetite had grown 
By what it fed on." — Sliakspeare, 

How true and beautiful is the saying of Emerson, 
that " Punishment is a fruit that, unsuspected, ripens 
within the flower of the pleasure that concealed it.'^ 
174. Let the pleasures of a newly-married wife, 
then, be dictated by reason, and not by fashion. She 
ought to avoid all recreations of an exciting kind, as 
depression always follows excitement. I would have 
her prefer the amusements of the country to tliose of 
the town — such as a flower-garden, botany, archery, 
lawn-tennis, bowls, bicycling : everything, in fact, 
that will take her into the open air, and will cause 
her to appreciate the pure, simple, and exquisite 
beauties of nature. Lawn-tennis I consider to be 
one of the best games ever invented ; it induces a 
lady to take exercise whicli perhaps she would not 
otherwise do ; it takes her into the open air, it 
strengthens her muscles, it expands her chest, it pro- 
motes digestion, it circulates her blood, and it gives 
her an interest which is most beneficial both to mind 
and body. I am quite sure that one reason why ten- 
nis so much benefits the health is, it is attended with 
so much pleasure, for — 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — PLEASURES. 87 

" No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta'en." 

175. Oh I that my countrywomen should prefer the 
contaminated and foul ah^ of ball and of concert- 
rooms to the fresh^ sweety and health-giving air of 
the country ! 

176. Let me in this place enter my strong protest 
against a young wife dancing, more especially if she 
be enceinte. If she be anxious to have a family, it is 
a most dangerous amusement, as it is a fruitful source 
of miscarriage ; and the misfortune is, that if she 
once have a miscarriage, she may go on again and 
again, until her constitution be severely injured, and 
until all hopes of her ever becoming a mother are at 
an end. 

177c Although dancing during pregnancy is in- 
jurious, singing, at such times, is highly beneficial, 
and may be indulged in during the whole period of 
pregnancy ; indeed, it is, during the time she is 
enceinte, peculiarly valuable : it is exercise without 
too much fatigue, it is pleasure blended with benefit, 
and cannot be too strongly recommended. 

178. The quiet retirement of her own home ought 
then to be her greatest pleasure and her most precious 
privilege. Home is, or ought to be, the kingdom of 
woman, and she should be the reigning potentate. 
England is the only place in the world that truly 
knows what liome really means. The French have 
actually no word in their language to express its 
meaning. The author of The Pleasures of Hope 
sweetly and truly sings — 

*' That home, the sound we English love so well, 
Has been as strange to me as to those nations 
That have no word, they tell me, to express it." 

179. A father, a mother, children, a house, and its 



88 ADVICE TO A AVIFE. 

belongings^ constitute^, in England, home — the most 
delightful place in the world, where affections spring 
up, take root, and flourish, and where happiness 
loves to take up its abode — 

*' Sweet is the smile of home ; the mutual look 
When hearts are of each other sure ; 
Sweet all the joys that crowd the household nook, 
The haunts of all affections pure."— ZebZe. 

180. Allan Eamsay, in The Gentle Shepherd, gives 
in a dialogue between Peggy and Jenny a charming 
description of what home and what a good wife ought 
to be. Peggy, in reply to Jenny, says — 

'' Then I'll employ wi' pleasure a' my art 
To keep him cheerfu', an' secure his Jieart. 
At e'en, when he comes weary frae the hill, 
I'll hae a' things made ready to his will. 
In winter, when he toils thro' wind and rain, 
A bleezing ingle an' a clean hearthstane ; 
An' soon as he flings by his plaid an' staff, 
The seething pots be ready to take aff ; 
Clean hag-a-bag I'll spread upon his board. 
An' serve him wn' the best we can afford ; 
Good humor and white bigonets shall be 
Guards to my face to keep his love for me." 

181. A wife who is constantly gadding /rom home, 
and who is never happy at home, does not know, and 
does not deserve to know, Avhat home really means ; 
she is, moreover, usually weak both in mind and 
body — 

** The first sure symptom of a mind in health 
Is rest of heart, and pleasure felt at home." — Young, 

182. A well-regulated, calm, and contented mind 
is the best physician in the world — Avhich not only 
ofttimes prevents disease, but if it does occur, tends 



IKTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.— COXTEXTMEKT. 89 

very much to lessen its poignancy^ and eventually to 
cure it. The liurly-burly of a fashionable life is very 
antagonistic^ then^ to health and to all home com- 
forts. How true is that beautiful saying in Isaiah — 
'' In quietness and in confidence shall be your 
strength. ^^ 

183. Cheerfulness^ contentment^ occupation, and 
healthy activity of mind cannot be too strongly rec- 
ommended. A cheerful, happy temper is one of the 
most valuable attributes a wife can have. The pos- 
session of such a virtue not only makes herself, but 
every one around her happy. It gilds with sunshine 
the humblest dwelling, and often converts an indif- 
ferent husband into a good one. Contentment is the 
finest medicine in the world ; it not only frequently 
prevents disease, but, if disease be present, it assists 
in curing it. Happy is the man who has a contented 
wife ! A peevish, discontented helpmate (helpmate, 
save the mark !) is always ailing, is never satisfied, 
and does not know, and does not deserve to know 
what real happiness is. She is ^"^ a thorn in the flesh. " 
A bad wife is the greatest misfortune. Dante, who 
was unhappy in his conjugal relations, says in his 
Inferno — 

'' Ma la fiera moglie 
Mi nuoce piu ch' altro." 

Notwithstanding she might have all that she can 
desire in this world, yet being discontented, she her- 
self is of all women, the most miserable — 

** Nought's had, all's spent, 
Where our desire is got without consent." 

Shakspeare, in another place, pertinently asks — 
' ' What's more miserable than discontent ? " 



!)0 ADVICE TO A AVIFE. 

184. Everything ought to be done to cultivate 
cheerfuhiess ; it might be cultivated just as readily as 
exercise or music is cultivated : it is a miserable thing 
to go gloomily through the worlds when everything 
in nature is bright and cheerful. '' Laugh and grow 
fat ^' is a saying as old as the hills, and is as true as 
it is old. The moping, miserable people there are in 
the world are enougli to inoculate the rest of mankind 
with melancholy. Cheerfulness is very contagious, 
and few can resist its blandishments. A hearty laugh 
is good for the digestion, and makes the blood course 
merrily through the veins. It has been said that it 
is not genteel to laugh aloud ; but, like many fashion- 
able sayings, it is the very essence of folly ! Cheer- 
fulness is like a valuable prescription, for '^ a cheerful 
countenance doetli good like a medicine." 

185. One of the greatest requisites, then, for a 
happy home is a cheerful, contented, bright, and 
merry wife. Her face is a perpetual sunshine ; her 
presence is that of an angel ; she is happy in herself, 
and she imparts happiness to all around her. A 
gentle, loving, confiding, placid, hopeful, and trust- 
ing disposition has a great charm for a husband, and 
ought, by a young wife, to be assiduously cultivated — 

" For gentleness, and love, and trust, 
Prevail o'er angry wave and gust. " — Longfelloic, 

Pope has a similar passage to the above — 

** And trust me, clears ! good humor will prevail. 
When airs, and flights, and screams, and scolding fail." 

186. Sweet temper gives beauty to the countenance ; 
while a wife who, without rhyme or reason, is always 
grieving and grumbling, becomes old before her time ; 
she herself plants wrinkles on her brow and furrows 



IXTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.— HOUSEHOLD. 91 

ou her cheeky and makes her complexiou muddy aud 
pasty looking — 

" For the canker grief, 
Soils the complexion, and is beauty's thief/' — Crahhe, 

187. Every young wife^ let her station be ever so 
exalted^ ought to attend to her lioiiselioJcl duties. Her 
health, and consequently her happiness, demands the 
exertion. The want of occupation — healthy, useful 
occupation — is a fruitful source of discontent, of sin, 
of disease, and barrenness. If a young married lady 
did but know the importance of occupation — how 
much misery might be averted, and how much happi- 
ness might, by attending to her household duties, be 
ensured — she would appreciate the importance of the 
advice. Occupation improves the health, drives away 
ennui, cheers the hearth and home ; and, what is 
most important, if household duties be well looked 
after, her house becomes a paradise, and she the 
ministering angel to her husband. '^1 find,^^ says 
Dr. Chalmers, '^ that successful exertion is a power- 
ful means of exhilaration, which discharges itself in 
good humor upon others. ^^ 

188. But she might say — ^' I cannot always be oc- 
cupied ; it bores me ; it is like a common person ; I 
am a lady ; I was not made to work ; I have neither 
the strength nor the inclination for it ; I feel weak 
and tired, nervous and spiritless, and must have rest.''^ 
I reply, in the expressive words of the poet, that — 

'* Absence of occupation is not rest, 
A mind quite vacant is a mind distress'd." — Coicper, 

Hear, too, what another poet sweetly sings of rest — 

** Rest ? Thou must not seek for rest 
Until thy task be done ; 



92 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

Thou must not lay thy burden down, 
Till setting of the sun."— T. 31. W, 

" If time be heavy on your hands/^ are there no 
household duties to look after^ no servants to in- 
struct, no flower-beds to arrange, no school-children 
to teach, no sick-room to visit, no aged people to 
comfort, no widow or orphan to relieve ? 

" Nor any poor about your lands ? 
Oh ! teach the orphan boy to read, 
Or teach the orphan girl to sew — 
Pray heaven for a human heart." — Tennyson,^^ 

189. To have nothing to do is most wretched, 
wearisome, and destructive to the mind. The words 
of Martin Luther on this subject should be written 
in letters of gold, and ought to be kept in constant 
remembrance by every man and woman, be they rich 
or poor, lettered or unlettered, gentle or simple. 
'' The mind,^^ said he, '' is like a mill that cannot 
stop working ; give it something to grind, and it will 
grind that. If it has nothing to grind, it grinds on 
yet ; but it is itself it grinds and wears away.^^ 

190. A lady in this enlightened age of ours con- 
siders it to be horribly low and vulgar to strengthen 
her loins with exercise and her arms with occupation, 
although such a plan of proceeding is, by the wisest 
of men, recommended in the Bible — ^' She girdetli 
her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms/^ 
— Proverbs. 

191. A husband soon becomes tired of grand per- 
formances on the piano, of crochet and worsted work, 
and of other minor employments ; but he can always 
appreciate a comfortable, clean, well-ordered, bright, 
cheerful, happy home, and a good dinner. It might 



IIS^TRODUCTORY CHAPTER. —HOUSEHOLD. 93 

be said that a wife is not the proper person to cook 
her husband^s dinner. True ! but a wife should see 
and know that the cook does her duty ; and if she 
did perchance understand lioiv the dinner ought to 
be cooked, I have yet to learn that the husband would 
for such knowledge think any the worse of her. 

192. A grazing farmer is three or four years in 
bringing a beast to perfection^ fit for human food. 
Is it not a sin, after so much time and pains, for a 
careless cook, in the course of one short hour or two, 
to ruin, by bad cookery, a joint of such meat ? Is it 
not time, then, that a wife herself should know how 
a joint of meat ought to be cooked, and thus be able 
to give instructions accordingly ? 

193. A boy is brought up to his profession, and is 
expected to know it thoroughly : how is it that a girl 
is not brought up to her profession of a wife ; and 
why is it that she is not taught to thoroughly under- 
stand all household duties ? The daughters of a 
gentleman^s family in olden times spent an hour or 
two every morning in the kitchen and in the laundry, 
and were initiated into the mysteries of pastry and 
pudding making, of preserving fruits, of ironing, etc. 
Their mothers^ and their grandmothers^ receipt-books 
were at their finger-ends. But now look at the 
picture : the daughters of a gentleman^s family of 
the present day consider it very low and horridly 
vulgar to understand any such matters. It is just as 
absurd to ask a lady to play on the piano who has 
never been taught music, as to ask a wife to direct 
her servants to perform duties which she herself 
knows nothing about. Thfe duties of a wife cannot 
come either by intuition or by instinct more than 
music can. Again I say, every lady, before she be 



94 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

married, ought to be thoroughly taught her profession 
— the duties of a wife ; she then would not be at the 
tender mercies of her servants, many of whom might 
be either unprincipled or inefficient. 

194. Do not think that I am overstating the impor- 
tance of my subject. A good dinner — I mean a Avell- 
cooked dinner (which, be it ever so plain, is really a 
good dinner) — is absolutely essential to the health, to 
the very existence, of yourself and your husband ; 
and how, if it be left to the tender mercies of the 
present race of cooks, can you have it ? High time 
it is that every wife, let her station be high or low, 
should look into the matter herself, and remedy the 
crying evil of the day. They manage these things 
better in Sweden. There the young ladies of wealthy 
families cook — actually themselves cook — tlie din- 
ners ; and instead of their considering it a disgrace, 
and to be horridly low and vulgar, they look upon it 
as one of their greatest privileges ! And what is the 
consequence ? A badly-cooked dinner is rare, and 
not, as it frequently is in this country, of frequent 
occurrence; and ^^ peace and ha^^piness^' reign tri- 
umphant. It is a pity, too, that we do not take a 
leaf out of the book of ou'r neighbors the French. 
Every woman in France is a good cook ; good cook- 
ery with them is a rule — with us it is the exception. 
A well-cooked dinner is a blessing to all who partake 
of it ; it promotes digestion, it sweetens the temper, 
it cheers the heart and home. There is nothing tries 
the temper more than an ill-cooked dinner ; it makes 
people dyspeptic, and for a dyspeptic to be sweet- 
tempered is an utter impossibility. Let me, there- 
fore, advise my fair reader to look well into the 
matter ; either the gloom or the sunshine of a house 



IKTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — HOUSEHOLD. 95 

depends much upon herself and upon her household 
management. I will^ moreover^ maintain that no 
man can be a thoroughly good man who has a bad 
cook — it is an utter impossibility I A man who par- 
takes of a badly-cooked dinner is sure, as I have just 
now remarked^ to be dyspeptic, and, if dyspeptic, to 
be quarrelsome, snappish, and unamiable, the one 
following the other as a matter of course. Take 
warning, therefore, ye wives I and look to the din- 
ners of your husbands, and know yourselves how 
dinners ought to be cooked I A well-cooked dinner 
imparts to the happy recipient, health, and peace, and 
content ; while an ill-cooked dinner gives to the mis- 
erable partaker thereof disease, discord, and discon- 
tent ! Every girl, then, let her rank be what it may, 
ought above all things to be accomplished in house- 
wifery, especially in tlie culinary department. ^^Poor 
creature ! '^ quoth a wife, '^ for a man to be so depen- 
dent on his cook I ^' Poor creature he truly is, if bad 
cooking makes him dyspeptic, which, unless he have 
the digestion of an ostrich, it assuredly will ! 

195. If the potatoes be sent to table as hard as 
bullets, if the spinach taste tough and '^^like bitter 
herbs, ^^ if the turkey be only half boiled, if the ham 
be only half done, if the bread be ^^ heavy as lead,^^ — 
how, in the name of common sense, can a husband 
feel comfortable and cheerful, and be loving and 
affectionate — suffering, as he must do, all the horrors 
of indigestion ! If men were saints — but unfortu- 
nately they all are not I— they might ''grin and bear 

it," or— 

" Be like patience on a monument. 
Smiling at grief." 

196. If wives do not cook the dinner themselves, 



96 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

they should surely know how dinners ought to be 
cooked : and ^^it is not necessary to be cooks them- 
selves^ but a cause of good cooking in others." Half 
the household miseries and three-fourths of the dys- 
pepsia in England would, if cookery were better un- 
derstood, be done away with ! There are heaps of good 
cookery books in the market to teach a wife how a 
dinner should be cooked. She has only to study the 
subject thoroughly and the deed is done, to the great 
happiness and Avellbeing of herself and of her hus- 
band. 

197. Every young wife .sliould be able — ought to 
be instructed either by her mother or by some com- 
petent person — it should be a part of her education — 
to teach and to train her own servants aright. Unfor- 
tunately, in the present day, there is too much cant 
and humbug about the instruction of the lower or- 
ders, and domestic servants among the rest. They 
are instructed in many things that are perfectly use- 
less to them, the knowledge of which only makes 
them dissatisfied with their lot, and tends to make 
them bad servants. Among other useless subjects 
taught them are the '^ologies.'^ It would be much 
more to the purpose if they were thoroughly in- 
structed in all household duties, and in ''the three 
E^s — reading, ^-iting, and Arithmetic ^^ — in obedience 
to their mistresses, and in simplicity of demeanor 
and dress. The servants themselves would be im- 
mensely benefited by such lessons. 

198. A '' blue-stocking ^^ makes, as a rule, a wretch- 
ed wife ; it would be far better for the health of her 
husband, of herself, and her family if, instead of cul- 
tivating Latin and Greek, she would cultivate her 
household duties, more especially a thorough knowl- 



INTRODUCTORY CIIAPTEK. — HOUSEHOLD. 97 

edge of the cooking department. '^A man is, in 
general, better pleased when he has a good dinner 
upon his table than when his wife speaks Greek/^ 
Johnson, 

^' From a morning that doth shine, 
From a boy that drinketh wine, 
From a wife that talketh Latine, 
Good Lord dehver me." 

Litany of the Darwin. family, 1719. 

199. Not only, then, ought a wife to understand 
household duties, but she should, previous to her 
marriage, be taught by her mother or others the mys- 
teries of nursing. How many a poor creature marries, 
who is as ignorant of nursing as a babe ! Sliould 
such things be ? If love and affection could instruct 
her, she would be learned indeed ; but, unfortunately, 
nursing is like everything else, it must, before it can 
be practised, be taught, and then proficiency will 
soon follow. Who so proper as a wife to nurse her 
husband in his sickness ? She might if she knew 
how, truly say — 

** I will attend my husband, be his nurse, 
Diet his sickness, for it is my office. 
And will have no attorney but myself." 

— Shakspeare. 

200. Nursing, that is, the power of being a real 
nurse, is a special gift, like that of painting and the 
sister arts. A first-rate nurse is one having the talent 
of nursing. The word ^^ nursing '^ is only a string of 
letters covering a multitude of offices, each of which 
requires the gift of genius to do well. Now we are 
not all geniuses, but we may do our best to be humble 
copyists, though we cannot originate. AVell, in this 
age, when opportunities abound in which a knowledge 

7 



98 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

of nursing can be acquired^ it should be a shame for 
any lady to confess that she has not had good instruc- 
tion in this divine art. What an outlook for husband 
and child — a wife and mother ignorant of duties 
and devoid of knowledge in the time of greatest need 
— sickness ! 

201. As soon as a lady marries^ the romantic non- 
sense of school-girls will rapidly vanish, and the stern 
realities of life will take its place, and she will then 
know, and sometimes to her grievous cost, that a 
tiseftdwite will be thought much more of than either 
an ornamental or a learned one ; indeed, a husband 
soon discovers that there is a ^^ beauty in utility ^^ — 

*' Thou shalt learn 
The wisdom early to discern 
True beauty in utility." — Longfelloiv, 

202. It is better for a young wife, and for every 
one else, to have too much than too little occupation. 
The misfortune of the present day is, that servants 
are made to do all the work, while the mistress of 
the house remains idle. Remains idle ! Yes ! and 
by remaining idle, remains out of health ! Idleness 
is a curse, and brings misery in its train ! How slow 
the hours crawl on when a person has nothing to do ; 
but how rapidly they fly when she is fully occupied. 
Besides, idleness is a frequent cause of barrenness. 
Hard-worked, industrious women are prolific ; . while 
idle ladies are frequently childless, or, if they do 
have a family, their children are puny, and their 
labors are usually both hard and lingering. We 
doctors know full well the difference there often is 
between the labor of a poor, hard-worked woman, 
and of a rich, idle lady : in the one case the labor is 



IXTKODUCTORY CHAPTER. — IDLENESS. 99 

usually quick and easy ; in the otlier^ it is often hard 
and lingering. Oh I if wives would consider betimes 
the importance of an abundance of exercise and of 
occupation^ what an immense amount of misery^ of 
pain^ of anxiety, and anguish they might avert ! 
Work is a blessed thing ; if we do not work, Ave pay 
the penalty — we suffer '^ in mind, body, and estate/^ 
An idle man or an idle woman is an object of the 
deepest pity and commiseration. A young wife 
ought, then, always to remember that — 

" The way to bliss lies not on beds of down." — Quarles, 

And that — 

'* Sweet tastes have sour closes ; 
And he repents on thorns that sleeps on beds of roses." 

203. Longfellow graphically describes the import- 
ance and value of occupation ; and as occupation is 
as necessary to a woman as to a man, I cannot resist 
transcribing it — 

" Toiling — rejoicing — sorrowing, 

Onward through life he goes ; 
Each morning sees some task begun, 

Each evening sees its close : 
Something attempted, something done, 

Has earned a night's repose." 

204. Truly may it be said that '' occupation earns 
a night's repose. " It is the finest composing medicine 
in the world, and, unlike an opiate, it never gives a 
headache ; it never produces costiveness ; and never, 
by repetition, loses its effect. Sloth and restlessness, 
even on down, are generally bedfellows — 

'•Weariness 
Can snore upon the flint, when rusty sloth 
Finds the down pillow hard." 



100 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

205. The mind, it is well known, exerts great in- 
fluence over the body in promoting health, and in 
causing and in curing disease. A delicate woman is 
always nervous ; she is apt to make mountains of 
mole-hills ; she is usually too prone to fancy herself 
worse than she really is. I should recommend my 
gentle reader not to fall into this error, and not to 
magnify every slight ache or pain. Let her, instead 
of whining and repining, use the means which are 
within the reach of all to strengthen her frame ; let 
her give battle to the enemy ; let her fight him with 
the simple weapons indicated in these pages, and the 
chances are she will come off victorious. 

206. There is nothing like occupation, active oc- 
cupation, to cure slight pains — ^^ constant occupation 
physics pain ^' — to drive away little ailments, and the 
dread of sickness. 

207. What a blessed thing is work I What a pre- 
cious privilege for a girl to have a mother who is both 
able and anxious to instruct her daughter, from her 
girlhood upwards, in all household management and 
duties ! Unfortunately in this our age girls are not 
either educated or prepared to be made wives — use- 
ful domesticated wives. Accomplishments they have, 
without number, but of knowledge of the manage- 
ment of an establishment tliey are as ignorant as the 
babe unborn. Verily, they and their unfortunate hus- 
bands and offspring will in due time pay the penalty 
of their ignorance and folly I It is, forsooth, unlady- 
like for a girl to eat much ; it is unladylike for her 
to work at all ; it is unladylike for her to take a long 
walk ; it is unladylike for lier to go into the kitchen ; 
it is unladylike for her to make her own bed ; it is 
unladylike for her to be useful ; it is unladylike for 



IXTRODCCTORY CHAPTER. — D0:MESTIC LIFE. 101 

her to have a bloom upon her cheek like unto a milk- 
maid ! All these are said to be horribl}' low and 
vulgar, and to be only fit for the common people I 
Away with such folly I The system of the bringing 
up of the young ladies of the present day is '^ rotten 
to the core.^' A wife looking ^^ well to the ways of 
her household '^ is, in an old book, set forth in terms 
of great approbation : — '' She openeth her mouth 
with wisdom ; and in her tongue is the law of kind- 
ness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, 
and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children 
arise up, and call her blessed ; her husband also, and 
he praiseth her.^'' 

208. A wife^s life is made up of little pleasures, of 
little tasks, of little cares, and little duties, but which, 
when added up together, make a grand sum total of 
human happinesss. She is not expected to do any 
grand work ; her province lies in a contrary direction 
— in gentleness, in cheerfulness, in contentment, in 
house-wifery, in care and management of her chil- 
dren, in sweetening her husband^s cup of life, when 
it is, as it often is, a bitter one, in abnegation of self : 
these are emphatically a "^"^woman^s rights,'^ her herit- 
age, her jewels, which help to make up her crown of 
glory— 

'' The trivial round, the common task, 
Would furnish all we ought to ask ; 
Room to deny ourselTes ; a road 
To bring us daily nearer God." — Keble, 

209. There is in Crabbers Poems a conversation 
supposed to take place between a husband and a wife 
which is very beautiful ; it contains advice, both to 
husband and wife, of priceless value. I cannot re- 



102 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

fraiii from transferring an extract of it to these pages ; 
the husband addresses the wife thus : — 

" Each on the other must in all depend, 
The kind adviser, the unfailing friend ; 
Through the rough world we must each other aid, 
Leading and led, obeying and obey'd ; 
Favor'd and favoring, eager to believe 
What should be truth — unwilling to iDerceive 
What miglit offend — determined to remove 
What has offended ; wisely to improve 
What pleases yet, and guard returning love.' 

210. If a young married lady, without having any 
actual disease about her, be delicate and nervous, 
there is no remedy equal in value to change of air — 
more especially to the sea-coast. The sea-breezes, 
and if she be not pregnant, sea-bathing, frequently 
act like magic upon her in restoring her to perfect 
health. I say, if she be not pregnant ; if she be, it 
would, without first obtaining the express permission 
of a medical man, be highly improper for her to 
bathe. 

211. A walk on the mountains is delightful to the 
feelings and beneficial to the health. In selecting a 
sea-side resort it is always well, where it be practi- 
cable, to have mountain air as well as the sea-breeze. 
The mounting of high hills, if a lady be pregnant, 
would not be desirable, as the exertion would be too 
great, and if she be predisposed, might bring on a 
miscarriage ; but the climbing of hills and moun- 
tains, if she be not enceintey is most advantageous to 
health, strengthening to the frame, and exhilarating 
to the spirits. Indeed, we may compare the exhilara- 
tion it produces to the drinking of champagne ; with 
this diflference — it is much more beneficial to healtli 



i:NrTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. — DOMESTIC LIFE. 103 

than champagne^ and does not leave the next morn- 
ing, as champagne sometimes does, either a disagree- 
able taste in the mouth or headache behind — 

** Oh ! there is a sweetness in the mountain air 
And life, that bloated ease can never hope to share." 

Byron, 

212. Bugs and Fleas, — This is a very common- 
place subject, but, like most commonplace subjects, 
is one necessary to be known, as these pests of 
society sometimes destroy the peace, comfort, and 
enjoyment of a person when away from her home. 
Many ladies who travel from home are made miser- 
able and wretched by having to sleep in strange beds 
— in beds infested either Avith bugs or with fleas. 
Now, it will be well for a lady never to go any dis- 
tance from home without having four things in her 
trunk, namely — (1) A box of matches, in order, at 
any moment of the night, to strike a light, both to 
discover and frighten the enemy away. (2) A box of 
night-lights. Bugs never bite when there is a light 
in the room. It would therefore be well, in an in- 
fested room, and until fresh lodgings can be procured, 
to keep a night-light burning all night. (3) A packet 
of " La Pouclre Insecticide/' manufactured in France, 
but which may be procured in England, or Keating's 
insect powder, a preparation which, although per- 
fectly harmless to the human economy, is utterly 
destructive to fleas. (4) A four-ounce bottle of oil of 
turpentine, a little of which, in case of a discovery of 
bugs in the bed, should be sprinkled between the 
sheets and on the pillow. The oil of turpentine will, 
until fresh lodgings can be procured, keep the bugs 
at a respectable distance. Care should be observed. 



104 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

while sprinkling the sheets with the turpentine^ not 
to have (on account of its inflammability) a lighted 
candle too near the bed. I know, from experience, 
that bugs and fleas are, when ladies are away from 
home, a source of torment and annoyance, and am 
therefore fully persuaded of the value and importance 
of the above advice — 

** Yet let me flap this bug with gilded wings, 
This painted child of dirt which stinks and stings." 

Pope. 

213. If it be not practicable for her to visit the 
sea-coast, let her be in the fresh air — in the country 
air. Let her mornings be spent out of doors ; and if 
she cannot inhale the 6'm-breezes, let her inhale the 
7norning breezes — 

'' The skies, the air, the morning's breezy call, 
Alike are free, and full of health to slV—Brydges, 

214. Cheerfulness and evenness of temper ought, 
by a young wife, to be especially cultivated. There 
is nothing that promotes digestion, and thus good 
health, more than a cheerful, placid temper. We 
know that the converse is very detrimental to that 
process ; that violent passion takes away the appetite, 
deranges the stomach, and frequently disorders the 
bowels. Hence it is that those who attain great ages 
are usually of an even, cheerful temper. 

215. A young wife is apt to take too much open- 
ing medicine ; the more she takes, the more she re- 
quires, until at length the bowels will not act without 
an aperient ; hence she irritates the nerves of the 
stomach and bowels, and injures herself beyond 
measure. If the bowels be costive, and variety of 
food, and of fruit, and of other articles of diet, which 



IXTRODrCTORY CHAPTER. — COXSTIPATIOX. 105 

I either have or will recommend in these pages^ to- 
gether with an abundance of air^ and of exercise^ and 
of occupation^ will not open them^ then let her give 
herself an enema ; which she can w^ithont the slight- 
est pain or annoyance^ and with very little trouble, 
readily do, provided she have a proper a23paratus, 
namely, '^'a self -injecting enema apparatus," one 
made purposely for the patient, to be used either by 
herself, or to be administered by another person. 
A pint of 1 62)1(1 water, with some soap and salad oil, 
is as good an enema as can be used, and which, if the 
first should not operate, ought in a few^ minutes to 
be repeated. The enema does nothing more than 
wash the bowels out, removing any offending matter, 
and any depression of spirits arising therefrom, and 
neither interferes with the stomach nor with the 
digestion. Xo family ought to be without a good 
enema apparatus, to fly to in any emergency. Many 
valuable lives have been saved by means of it. It 
should always be kept in good order and ready at 
hand. It may be used every day without harm. 

216. There is another excellent remedy for habit- 
ually costive bowels, namely, the eating of hrown 
bread — of bread made with undressed flour — that is 
to say, with the flour ground all one way — with flour 
containing the flour, the pollards, and i]iQjine bran, 
with all therein contained of the grain of the wheat, 
except the very coarse bran. Many people are made 
costive and ill by the eating of bread made with the 
finest flour only. Bread made with the undressed 
flour stimulates the bowels to action, and is, besides, 
much more nourishing — undressed flour being much 
richer in phosphates than the perfectly dressed flour 
—than what is usually called Best Firsts or Biscuit 



lOG ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

Flour ; and the phosphates are of vital importance to 
the different animal tissues and to the bones. 

217. Some patients with very weak stomachs can- 
not properly digest hroivn bread — it makes them feel 
uncomfortable and aggravates their dyspeptic symp- 
toms ; but if the bowels be costive and the digestion 
be not overweak, iroicn bread is an admirable means 
of opening them. If millers could devise means to 
reduce the luhoU of the bran to an impalpahle powder, 
they would be conferring an incalculable boon on 
suffering humanity, as then all the bran would be 
left in the flour — thus increasing the hygienic qual- 
ities of the bread. 

218. Another admirable remedy for opening the 
bowels of a costive patient is the drinking of cold 
water — drinking half a tumblerful or a tumblerful 
of cold water the moment she awakes in the morn- 
ing, and at any other time during the day she feels 
inclined to do so. 

219. A variety of diet will often regulate costive 
bowels better — far better — than physic ; and will not 
— as drug-aperients assuredly will — bind the bowels 
up more firmly than ever after the operation of the 
drug has once been accomplished. 

220. If a young wife has costive bowels, let her, 
instead of either swallowing opening pills, or before 
even administering to herself an enema, try the effect 
of visiting the water-closet at one particular period 
regularly every morning of her life. It is surprising 
how soon, as a rule, the above simple plan will get 
the bowels into a regular state, so that, in a short 
time, both aperients and enemata would be perfectly 
unnecessary, to her great comfort and to her lasting 
benefit. 



IXTRODCCTORY CHAPTER. — COXCLUSIOK. 107 

" How use doth breed a habit in a man," 

and in woman too. But if the bowels^ without either 
medicine or enema, are to be brought into a regular 
state, patience and perseverance must be the motto, 
as it ought to be for everything else for which it is 
worth the striving. 

221. If a wife's bowels be costive, she ought not to 
be anxious to take an aperient : she should wait a 
while, and see what Nature will do for her. Active 
purgatives, except in extreme cases, which only a 
doctor can determine, are very injurious. 

222. In summing up my Advice to a Young Wife, 
I beg to give her the following inventory of some of 
the best physic to be found in the world : — Early 
rising ; thorough morning ablution ; good substantial 
plain food ; great moderation in the use of stimulants ; 
a cool and well-ventilated house, especially bedroom ; 
an abundance of fresh air, exercise, and occupation ; 
a cheerful, contented, happy spirit ; and early going 
to bed : all these are Nature's remedies, and are far 
superior and are far more agreeable than any others 
to be found in the Materia Medica. So true it is 
that Nature is, as a rule, the best doctor, and that a 
wife's health is pretty much as she herself chooses 
to make it. Shakspeare graphically and truthfully 
remarks that — 

*' Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, 
Which we ascribe to Heaven ; the fated 
Gives us free scope ; only doth backward 
Our slow designs, when we ourselves are dull." 

223. By adopting the dictates of reason and of 
common sense, many of the nervous, useless, lack- 
adaisical, fine ladies will be unknown, and Ave shall 



108 ADYICE TO A WIFE. 

have instead blooming wives^ who will in due time 
become the mothers of hardy^ healthy, happy chil- 
dren. 

224. In the foregoing pages the burden of my song 
has been health — the preservation of health — the 
most precious of God^s gifts, and one that is frittered 
away as though it were but of little value. Health 
ought to be the first consideration of all, and of every 
young wife especially, as, when she is married, her 
life, her health, are not altogether her own, but her 
husband^s and her f amily^s. Oh, it is a glorious gift, 
a precious boon, to be in the enjoyment of perfect 
health, and is worth a little care and striving to 
obtain. 

225. In concluding the first division of my subject, 
let me entreat my fair reader to ponder well on what 
I have already said ; let her remember that she has a 
glorious mission ; let her thoroughly understand that 
if good habits and good rules be not formed and fol- 
lowed during the first year of her wifehood, they are 
not at all likely to be instituted afterwards. The 
first year is the golden opportunity to sow the seeds 
of usefulness, to make herself healthy and strong, and 
to cause her to be a blessing, a solace, and a comfort 
to her husband, her children, and all around her. 
The wife^s mission concerns the husband quite as 
much as it does the wife herself — 

** The woman's cause is man's. They rise or sink 
Together. Dwarf 'd or godlike, bond or free ; 
If she be small, slight-natured, miserable, 
How shall men grow ? ''—Tennyson, 

226. I cannot, in closing this introductory chapter, 
do better than quote the following graphic and truth- 
ful description of a good domestic wife — 



i:ntroductory chapter. — coxclusion^. 109 

" Yes, a world of comfort, 
Lies in that one word, wife. After a bickering day 
To come with jaded spirit home at night, 
And find the cheerful fire, the sweet repast, 
At which, in dress of happy cheeks and eyes, 
Love sits, and, smiling, lightens all the board." 

— J. S. Knoivles. 

227. Pope has painted an admirable portrait of a 
wife, which is well worth studying and engraving on 
the memory — 

** She who ne'er answers till her husband cools. 
Or if she rules him, never shows she rules ; 
Charms by accepting, by submitting sways, 
Yet has her humor most when she obeys." 

228. George Herbert, two centuries and a half ago 
beautifully describes his wdfe as — 

*' My joy, my life, my crown ; " 

and truly a good wife is emphatically a man^s joy, his 
life, and his crown I 

229. There is, too, in Wordsworth a most exqui- 
sitely beautiful description of what a woman, if she 
be perfect, ought to be, which I cannot refrain from 
quoting. It is a perfect gem, a diamond of the first 
water, brilliant and sparkling, without flaw or 
blemish — 

*' A being breathing thoughtful breath — 
A traveller betwixt life and death ; 
The reason firm, the temperate will, 
Endurance, foresight, strength, and skill ; 
A perfect woman, nobly plann'd. 
To warn, to comfort, and command ; 
And yet, a spirit still, and bright. 
With something of an angel light." 



PART I. 



MENSTRUATION. 



Menstruation — " the periods '" — is the manifestation, the proof posi- 
tive, the sign-mannal of puberty ; the due perfo^nnance of which is, as 
a rule, necessary for health and for conception ; it usually ceases dur- 
ing pregnancy, iisually during suckling, and oftentimes during severe 
illness ; it comes on generally to the day, and frequently to the very 
hour, every lunar month, for the space of about thirty years, and 
then disappears altogether ; constituting, at its close, '' change of 
lifer 



230. Menstruation plays a momentous part in the 
female economy ; indeed, unless it be in every tvay 
properly and duly performed, it is neither possible 
that a woman can be well, nor is it at all probable 
that she will conceive. The large number of barren, 
of delicate, and of hysterical women there are in 
England arises mainly from menstruation not being 
duly and properly performed. Sufficient attention 
has not hitherto been paid to this subject. I there- 
fore purpose devoting this special chapter to its due 
and careful consideration, and would beg my fair 
reader^s earnest attention to it. It is a matter that 
deeply concerns her, as the due performance of men- 
struation usually betokens health and happiness ; 
while the converse frequently tells of ailments and 

misery. 

^ 110 



MEXSTRUATIOX — EARLY MARRIAGE. Ill 

231. Barren wives^ principally among the ^^ upper 
ten thousand/^ are very numerous — one wife in every 
eight wives being barren, being childless ! Must 
there not be some baneful influences at work to cause 
such a lamentable state of things ? Undoubtedly, 
and many of them, indeed most of them, are prevent- 
able ! 

233. ^^ A tree is known by its fruit, ^^ so is a healthy 
womb — one capable of bearing a child — known 
usually by menstruation. If menstruation be, in 
every way, properly and healthily performed, there 
is, as a rule, no reason, as far as the ivife herself is 
concerned, why she should not conceive, carry, and, 
in due time, bring forth a living child. Hence the 
importance of Mexstruatiox, the subject on which 
we are now about to enter. Indeed, it is one of the 
most important that can engage the attention of 
every wife ; for if menstruation be healthy, the womb 
is healthy, and the woman, as a rule, is healthy, and 
capable both of conception and of child-bearing. 

233. But to our subject. This is an important 
epoch in the life of a woman, and may be divided into 
three stages, namely — (1) The commencement of 
menstruation — of puberty ; (2) the continuation, at 
regular periods, of menstruation — the child-bearing 
age ; and (3) the close of menstruation, of child-bear- 
ing — ^^ the change of life.^^ 

234. (1.) The commencement of menstruation. A 
good beginning at this time is peculiarly necessary, 
or a girl's health is sure to suffer, and different organs 
of the body — her lungs, for instance — may become 
imperilled. (2.) The continuation of menstruation. 
A healthy continuation, at regular periods, is much 
needed, or conception, when she is married, may 



112 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

not occur. (3.) The close of menstruation. Great 
attention and skilful management is required to ward 
off many formidable diseases^ which at the close of 
menstruation — at ^^the change of lif e ^^ — are more 
likely than at any time to be developed. 

235. Whether, therefore, it be at the commence- 
ment, at the continuation, or at the close, watchful- 
ness and care must be paid to the subject, or irre- 
parable mischief may, and probably will, ensue. 

236. Menstruation — ''the periods'^ — the appear- 
ance of the catamenia or the menses — is then one of 
the mod important epochs in a girFs life. It is the 
boundary-line, the landmark between childhood and 
womanhood ; it is the threshold, so to speak, of a 
ivoman^s life. Her body now develops and expands, 
and her mental capacity enlarges and improves. She 
then ceases to be a child, and she becomes a woman. 
She is now, for the first time, as a rule, able to con- 
ceive. 

237. Although puberty has at this time commenced, 
it cannot be said that she is at her full perfection ; it 
takes eight or ten years more to complete her organ- 
ization, which will bring her to the age of twenty- 
three or twenty-five years. These perhaps are the 
best ages for a woman, if she have both the oppor- 
tunity and the inclination to marry. 

238. If she marry when very yourfg, marriage 
weakens her system, and prevents a full development 
of her body. Moreover, such a one is, during the 
progress of her labor, prone to convulsions — which 
is a very serious childbed complication. Besides, if 
she marry when she is only seventeen or eighteen, 
the bones of the pelvis — the bones of the lower part 
of the trunk — are not at that time sutKcieutly devel- 



MENSTRUATION. — EARLY MARRIAGE. 113 

oped ; are not properly shaped for the purpose of 
labor ; do not allow of sufficient space for the head 
of the child to readily pass^ as though she were of the 
riper age of twenty-three or twenty-five. She may 
have in consequence a severe and dangerous confine- 
ment. She will most probably not only herself have 
a hard^ and lingering, and perilous childbirth, but 
her innocent babe wdll most likely be still-born, or 
undersized, or unhealthy. Statistics prove that 20 
per cent. — 20 in every 100 — of females who marry 
are under age, and that such early marriages are 
often followed by serious, and sometimes even by 
fatal consequences to mother, to progeny, or to both. 
Parents ought, therefore, to persuade their daughters 
not to marry until they are of age — twenty-one ; they 
should point out to them the risk and danger likely 
to ensue if their advice be not followed ; they should 
impress upon their minds the old adage — 

'* Early wed, 
Early dead." 

They should instil into them that splendid passage 
from Shakspeare, that — 

'' Things growing are not ripe until their season." 

239. '^ What wonder that the girl of seventeen or 
eighteen, whose bones are only half-consolidated, and 
whose pelvis, especially with its muscular and liga- 
mentous surroundings, is yet far from maturity, loses 
her health after marriage, and becomes the delicate 
mother of sickly children ? Parents who have the 
real interest and happiness of their daughters at 
heart ought, in consonance with the laws of physi- 
ology, to discountenance marriage before twenty ; and 

the nearer the girls arrive at the age of twenty-five 
8 



114 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

before the consummation of this important rite^ the 
greater the probability that, physically and morally^ 
they will be protected against those risks which pre- 
cocious marriages bring in their train/^ * 

240. If a lady marry late in life^ say after she be 
thirty, the soft parts engaged in parturition are more 
rigid and more tense, and thus become less capable 
of dilatation, which might cause, for the first time, 
a hard and tedious labor. Again, when she marries 
late in life, she might not live to see her children 
grow up to be men and women. Moreover, as a rule, 
^^the offspring of those that are very young or very 
old lasts not.'^ Everything, therefore, points out 
that the age above indicated — namely, somewhere be- 
tween twenty-one and thirty — is the most safe and 
suitable time for a woman to marry. 

241. While talking about marriage, let me strongly 
urge a mother not to allow her daughter, if she be 
very delicate, to marry. 

242. A man himself, too, should never contemplate 
marrying a woman unless she be healthy and of a 
healthy stock. If this advice were universally fol- 
lowed, how much happiness would be insured, and 
how much misery would be averted ! The conse- 
quences of marrying an unhealthy woman are really 
terrible — to husband, to wife, and to progeny. 

243. The assurance companies all speak in language 
not to be misunderstood, of the great stress they lay, 
in the assurance of a life, upon a healthy family. 
Their testimony is of immense weight, as, of course, 
the value of lives is their especial business. 



* The Medical Adviser in Life Assurance. By Sir Edward 
Sieveking, M.D. London : J. & A. Churcliill. 



ME]S"STKUATIOK. — 3IARRIAGE. 115 

244. A healthy family^ in the selection of a wife, is 
far before a wealthy family ; but, indeed, ^^ health 
is wealth/^ and wealth most precious ! 

245. Let us pursue the subject of marriage a little 
further, as it is one of great importance. Feeble 
parents have generally feeble children ; diseased 
parents, diseased children ; nervous parents, nervous 
children; — ^ Hike begets like.^^ It is sad to reflect 
that the innocent have to suffer, not only for the 
guilty, but for the thoughtless and for the incon- 
siderate. Disease and debility are thus propagated 
from one generation to another, and the English race 
becomes wofully deteriorated. The above is a 
gloomy picture, and demands the efEorts of all who 
love their country to brighten its sombre coloring. 

246. It is true that people live longer now than 
formerly ; but it is owing to increased medical skill 
and to improved sanitary knowledge keeping alive the 
puny, the delicate, and the diseased. Unfortunately, 
those imperfect creatures who sw^ell the ranks of the 
population will only propagate puny, delicate, and 
diseased progeny like themselves. Not only do chil- 
dren inherit the physical diseases, but they inherit 
likewise the moral and mental infirmities of their 
parents. 

247. Diseased and delicate people have, then, no 
right to marry ; if they do, a reckoning day will as- 
suredly come, when they w^ill have to pay the extreme 
penalty of their temerity and folly. Truly marriage 
is a solemn responsibility, and should not be entered 
into without nature consideration. Pure blood and 
pure mind are, in marriage, far above riches, or rank, 
or any other earthly possession whatever ! 

248. Menstruation generally comes on once every 



116 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

month — that is to say, every twenty-eight days ; usu- 
ally to the day, and frequently to the very hour. 
Some ladies, instead of being '^ regular ^^ every month 
are ^^ regular ^^ every three weeks. Each menstrua- 
tion continues from three to five days ; in some, for 
a week ; and in others for a longer period. It is 
estimated that, during each ^^ monthly period,^^ from 
four to six ounces is, on an average, the quantity dis- 
charged. 

249. A lady seldom conceives unless she be ^^ reg- 
ular, ^^ although there are cases on record where 
women have conceived Avho have never had their 
^' periods ;^^ but such cases are extremely rare. 

250. Menstruation in this country usually com- 
mences at the ages of from thirteen to sixteen, some- 
times earlier ; occasionally as early as eleven or twelve ; 
at other times later, and not until a girl be seventeen 
or eighteen years of age. Menstruation in large 
towns is supposed to commence at an earlier period 
than in the country, and earlier in luxurious than in 
simple life.* 

251. Menstruation continues for thirty, and some- 
times even for thirty-five years ; and, while it lasts, 
is a sign that a lady is liable to become pregnant — 

* ^'In the human female, the period of puberty, or of 
commencing aptitude for procreation, is usually between 
the thirteenth and sixteenth year. It is generally thought 
to be somewhat earlier in warm climates than in cold, and 
in densely populated manufacturing towns than in thinly 
populated agricultural districts. The mental and bodily 
habits of the individual have also considerable influence 
upon the time of its occurrence ; girls brought up in the 
midst of luxury or sensual indulgence undergoing this 
change earlier than those reared in hardihood and self- 
denial." — Dr, Carpenter's Human Physiology, 



3IEiN^STRUATI0N. — LATE MATER:NriTY. 117 

unless^ indeed, menstruation should be protracted 
much beyond the usual period of time. As a rule, 
then, when a woman ^^ ceases to be unwell/^ she 
ceases to have a family ; therefore, as menstruation 
usually leaves her at forty-five, it is seldom that after 
that age she has a child. 

253. I have known ladies become mothers when 
they have been upwards of fifty years of age ; 
although they seldom conceive after they are forty- 
three, or, at all events, forty-five years old. I my- 
self delivered a woman in her fifty-first year of a fine 
healthy child. She had a kind and easy labor, and 
was the mother of a large family, the youngest being 
at the time of her last confinement twelve years 
old.* I also delivered a woman aged fifty-four of a 
healthy live child. ^^ Dr. Carpenter, of Durham, 
tells us that he has attended in their confinements 
several women whose ages were fifty. ' I well recol- 
lect a case occurring in my fathers practice in 1839, 
where a woman became a widow at forty-nine years 
of age. Shortly afterwards she married her second 
husband, and within twelve months of this time gave 
birth to her first child. These cases belong to the 
working classes.^ ^' 

253. In very warm climates, such as in Abyssinia 



* '^ Some curious facts come to light in the Scottish Re- 
gistrar-General's report in reference to prolific mothers. 
One mother, who was only eighteen, had four children ; 
one, who was twenty-two had seven children ; and of two 
who were only thirty-four, one had thirteen and the other 
fourteen children ; and, on the other hand, two women 
became mothers as late in life as at fifty-one and four at 
fifty-two ; and one mother was registered as having given 
birth to a child in the fifty-seventh year of her age." 



118 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

uiid ill India^ girls menstruate when very young — at 
ten or eleven years old ; indeed^ they are sometimes 
mothers at those ages. But when it commences 
early, it leaves early ; so that they are old women at 
thirty. '' Physically, we know that there is a very 
large latitude of difference in the periods of human 
maturity, not merely between individual and indi- 
vidual, but also between nation and nation — differ- 
ences so great, that in some southern regions of Asia 
we hear of matrons at the age of twelve.'^* 

254. In cold climates, sucli as Russia, women 
begin to menstruate late m life, frequently not until 
they are between twenty and thirty years old ; and 
as it lasts on them thirty or thirty-five years, it is 
not an unusual occurrence for them to bear children 
at a very advanced age — even so late as sixty. They 
are frequently not ^^ regular ^^ of tener than three or 
four times a year, and when it does occur, the men- 
strual discharge is generally sparing in quantity. 

255. The menstrual fluid is not exactly blood, 
although, both in appearance and in properties, it 
much resembles it ; yet it never in the healthy state 
clots as blood does. It is a secretion from the womb, 
and, when healthy, ought to be of a bright red color, 
in appearance very much like blood from a recently 
cut finger. 

256. The menstrual fluid ought not, as before 
observed, to clot. If it does, a lady, during ^^ her 
periods,^' suffers intense pain ; moreover, she seldom 
conceives until the clotting has ceased. Application 
must therefore, in such a case, be made to a medical 
man, who will soon relieve the above painful symp- 



t De Quincey. 



MEXSTRUATION. — AX^MIA. 119 

toms^ ancl^ by doing so^ will probably pave the way 
to her becoming pregnant. 

257. Menstruation generally ceases entirely in 
pregnancy^ during suckling, and usually both in 
diseased and in disordered states of the womb. It 
also ceases in cases of extreme debility, and in severe 
illness, especially in consumption ; indeed, in the 
latter disease — consumption — it is one of the most 
unfavorable of the symptoms. 

258. Some ladies, though comparatively few, men- 
struate during suckling ; when they do, it may be 
considered not as the rule, but as the exception. It 
is said, in such instances, that they are more likely 
to conceive ; and no doubt they are, as menstruation 
is an indication of a proneness to conception. Many 
persons have an idea that when a woman, during 
lactation, menstruates, her milk is both sweeter 
and purer. Such is an error. Menstruation during 
suckling is more likely to weaken the mother, and 
consequently to deteriorate her milk, and thus make 
it less sweet and less pure. It therefore behoves a 
parent never to take a wet nurse who menstruates 
during the period of suckling. 

259. During ^^the monthly periods ^^ violent exer- 
cise is injurious ; iced drinks and acid beverages are 
improper ; and bathing in the sea, and bathing the feet 
in cold water, and cold baths are dangerous ; indeed, 
at such times as these no risks should be run, and 
no experiments should, for one moment, be permitted, 
otherwise serious consequences w411, in all probability, 
ensue. ^^ The monthly periods ^^ are times not to be 
trifled with, or woe betide the unfortunate trifler ! 

260. A lady sometimes suffers severe pains both 
just before and during her '^'^ poorly ^^ times. When 



120 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

such is the case^ she seldom conceives until the pain 
is removed. She ought therefore to apply to a medi- 
cal man for relief. AVhen she is freed from the pain, 
in all probability she will in due time become en- 
ceijite. 

261. If a married woman have painful menstrua- 
tion^ even if she becomes pregnant, she is more likely, 
in the early stage, to miscarry. This is an important 
consideration, and requires the attention of a doctor 
skilled in such matters. 

2G2. The pale, colorless-complexioned, helpless, 
listless, and almost lifeless young ladies, who are so 
constantly seen in society, usually owe their miser- 
able state of health to absent, to deficient, or to pro- 
fuse menstruation. Their breathing is short — they 
are soon ^^ out of breath \" if they attempt to take 
exercise — to walk, for instance, either upstairs or up 
a hill, or even for half a mile on level ground, their 
breath is nearly exhausted — they pant as though tliey 
had been running quickly. They are ready, after 
the slightest exertion or fatigue, and after the least 
worry or excitement, to feel faint, and sometimes 
even to actually swoon away. Now such cases may, 
if judicially treated, be generally soon cured. It 
therefore behoves mothers to seek medical aid early 
for their girls, and that before irreparable mischief 
has been done to the constitution. If this advice 
had been early followed, how many a poor girl might 
have been saved from consumption, and from an 
untimely grave, and made a useful member of 
society ; but, alas ! like many other things in this 
world, mothers will not ^Hiearken unto counsel ^^ 
until it be too late — too late ; and then, at the 
eleventh hour, doctors are expected to work miracles ! 



MEI^STKUATION. — THE WHITES. 121 

263. There is an evil practice which^ as it is very 
general^ requires correction^ namely^ the giving of 
alcoholic stimulants by a mother to her daughter at 
the commencement of each of ^^her periods ; ^^ more 
especially if she be in much pain. This practice 
often leads a girl to love spirits — to become, in 
course of time^ a drunkard. There are other reme- 
dieS;, not at all injurious^ that medical men give at 
these times^ and which will afford both speedier and 
more effectual relief than a stimulant. 

264. If a single lady^ who is about to be married, 
have painful, or scanty, or too pale, or too dark 
menstruation, it is incumbent on either her mother 
or a female friend to consult, two or three months 
before the marriage takes place, an experienced 
medical man on her case ; if this be not done, after 
marriage she will most likely labor under ill-health, 
or be afflicted with barrenness, or, if she do conceive, 
be prone to miscarry. Anaemic girls who suffer from 
scanty and pale-colored menstruation should always 
be treated until the anaemia has disappeared. 

265. In a pale, delicate girl or wife, who is labor- 
ing under what is popularly called poverty of Uoody 
the menstrual fluid is sometimes very scant, at others 
very copious, but is, in either case, usually very pale 
— almost as colorless as water, the patient being very 
nervous and even hysterical. Xow, these are signs 
of great debility ; but, fortunately for such a one, a 
medical man is, in the majority of cases, in posses- 
sion of remedies that will soon make her all right 
again. 

266. A delicate girl has no right, until she be 
made strong, to marry. If she should marry, she 
will frequently, when in labor, not have strength. 



122 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

unless she has help^ to bring a child into the world ; 
which, provided she be healthy and well formed, 
ought not to be. How graphically the Bible tells of 
delicate women not having strength to bring children 
into the world : '^ For the children are come to the 
birth, and there is not strength to bring forth/^ — 
2 Kings xix. 3. 

267. The menstrual discharge, as before remarked 
ought, if healthy, to be of the color of blood — of fresh 
unclotted blood. If it be either too pale (and it 
sometimes is almost colorless), or, on the other hand, 
if it be both dark and thick (it is occasionally iis 
dark, and sometimes nearly as thick, as treacle), 
there will be but scant hopes of a lady conceiving. 
A medical man ought, therefore, at once to be con- 
sulted, who will, in the generality of cases, be able to 
remedy the defect. The chances are that, as soon tis 
the defect be remedied, she will become pregnant. 

268. Menstruation at another time is too scanty ; 
this is a frequent cause of sterility. Medical aid, in 
the majority of cases, will be able to remedy the de- 
fect, and, by doing so, will probably be the means of 
bringing the womb into a healthy state, and thus 
predispose to conception. This is usually the result 
of anemia. 

269. A married lady is very subject to ^^ the 
whites ;" the more there is of ^Hhe whites ^^ the less 
there will usually be of the menstrual discharge ; so 
that, in a bad case of ^^the whites,^^ menstruation 
might entirely cease, until proper means be used both 
to restrain the one and to bring back the other. In- 
deed, as a rule, if ^^the periods,^^ by proper treat- 
ment, be healthily established and restored, '^the 
whites " will often cease of themselves. Deficient 



MEKSTRUATION". — THE WHITES. 123 

nieiistruatioii is a frequent cause of '^ the whites/'^ 
and the consequent faihire of a family ; and as defi- 
cient menstruation is usually curable, a medical man 
ought, in all such cases, to be consulted. 

270. ^^ The whites ^^ may be the result of costive 
bowels. Kemedy the constipation and '^ the whites'^ 
soon disappear. 

271. " The periods/^ at other times are either too 
profuse or too long continued. Either the one or 
the other is a frequent source of barrenness and is 
also weakening to the constitution, and thus tends to 
bring a lady into a bad state of health. This, like 
the former cases, by judicious management may gen- 
erally be remedied ; and, being remedied, will in all 
probability result in the wife becoming a mother. 

272. The color of the menstrual fluid, Avhen not 
healthy, sometimes varies at each period, and at dif- 
ferent periods ; some of it may be very dark — almost 
black ; some, bright red — as from a cut finger ; and 
some of a greenish hue. Sometimes it may last but 
one day ; sometimes a couple of days ; at other times 
three or four days, and even a week — there being no 
certainty ; sometimes it may cease for a while, and 
then, may return again upon the slightest worry, or 
anxiety, or excitement ; so that a lady, in such a 
case, may be said to be scarcely ever properly clear of 
her ^^ periods. ^^ During the interval — if there be an 
interval — she is troubled with ^'^the whites."^^ In 
point of fact, she is never free from the one or the 
other ; she feels nervous, dispirited, and even hyster- 
ical : has pains of the left side, under the short ribs ; 
flatulence and racking neuralgic pains, flrst in one 
place and then in another. So that at one time or 
another scarcely any part of the body but either is. 



124 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

or has been, more or less affected. There may be 
dragging pains round and down loins and hips ; or 
palpitation of the heart, making her fancy that she 
has a disease of the heart, when she has nothing of the 
kind — when it is the womb, and not the heart, that 
is really at fault, and which will, if properly treated, 
be cured. ^'^The whites ^^ and ^^the periods ^^ to- 
gether terribly drain her system and weaken her 
nervous energy exceedingly, causing her to be totally 
unfitted for her duties and making her life a toil and 
trouble. Now this is a wretched state of affairs, and 
while it lasts there is, of course, not the slightest 
chance either of health or of a family. I should 
advise such a one to apply to a doctor experienced in 
such matters, wlio will be able to restore the womb to 
a healthy state, and thus bring back healthy mens- 
truation, which, in due time, may lead to pregnancy. 
But if she put off attending to the symptoms just 
described, continued ill-health, chronic dyspepsia for 
the rest of her life, and barrenness, will be her por- 
tion. The above sketch of one of a numerous class 
of similar cases is not overdrawn : indeed, many of 
my fair readers will recognize the picture as one 
painted from the very life — which it really has been. 

273. When a lady is neither pregnant nor ^' regu- 
lar, ^^ she ought immediately to apply to a doctor, as 
she may depend upon it there is something wrong 
about her, and that she is not likely to become 
enceinte until menstruation be properly established. 
As soon as menstruation be duly and healthily estab- 
lished, pregnancy will most likely, in due time, ensue. 

274. When a lady is said to be ^^ regular, ^^ it is 
understood that she is ^^ regular ^^ as to quality, and 
quantity, and time. If she be only ^^ regular ^^ as to 



il 



MENSTRUATION. — HEALTH. 125 

the time, and the qumitity be either deficient or in 
excess; or, if she be ^^ regular ^^ as to the tiiney and 
the quality be bad/ either too pale or too dark ; or if 
she be ^^ regular ^^ as to the quality and quantity, and 
be irregular as to the time, she cannot be well, and 
the sooner means are adopted to remedy the evil, 
the better it will be both for her health and for her 
happiness. 

275. A neglected miscarriage is a frequent cause of 
unhealthy menstruation ; and until the womb, and in 
consequence, '^ the periods, ^^ by judicious local treat- 
ment, be made healthy, there is indeed but scant 
chance of a family or of good health. 

276. I have no doubt that — among fashionable 
ladies — alcohol, which they take in quantities ^^to 
keep them up to the mark,^^ as they call it, is one 
great cause of hysteria. Ladies who never taste 
brandy, and but one or, at most, two glasses of wine 
daily, seldom labor under hysteria. And why is it so ? 
Alcohol, at all in excess, depresses the system, and 
thus predisposes it to hysteria and to other nervous 
affections. 

277. A lady who is not a votary of fashion, and 
who is neither a brandy-drinker nor a wine-bibber, 
may have hysteria — one, for instance, who has natur- 
ally a delicate constitution, or who has been made 
delicate by any depressing cause. . 

278. A large family of children, repeated miscar- 
riages, and profuse menstruation, are three common 
causes of hysteria : indeed, anything and everything 
that produces debility will induce hysteria. 

279. There are two classes of wives most liable to 
hysteria, namely, those who have had too many chil- 
dren, and those who have had none at all. Both 



126 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

these conditions of wifehood are detrimental to 
health ; but of the two^ the childless wife is far more 
liable to hysteria, and to many other diseases, than is 
the prolific mother. 

280. Diseases of the womb and of the breast are 
more likely to fasten, especially at " change of life/^ 
upon a childless than upon a prolific wife. This fact 
— for it is a fact — ought to be very consolatory to a 
mother who is burdened with, and weakened by, a 
numerous progeny. 

281. It is an unnatural state of things for a wife to 
be childless, as frequently, alas ! too many are from 
preventable causes ; but so it is, and so it will be, 
until more attention is paid to the subject — until the 
importance of healthy menstruation be more insisted 
upon than it is or has been — and until proper treat- 
ment be adopted to remedy the widespread evil. 

282. Hysterical patients need not despair, as by 
strengthening their systems, their wombs especially, 
with judicious treatment, hysteria may generally be 
cured. 

283. Now hysteria causes a wretched train of symp- 
toms, mimicking almost every disease to which flesh 
is heir. Menstruation, in nearly all cases of hysteria, 
is more or less at fault ; it may be too profuse, or too 
deficient, or absent altogether ; so that, in 23oint of 
fact, hysteria and malmenstruation together generally 
go hand in hand. There is another peculiarity of 
hysteria ; it generally attacks the delicate, those with 
poor appetites, those with languid circulations — with 
cold hands and cold feet, and those subject, in the 
winter-time, to chilblains. 

284. I will enumerate a few of the symptoms of 
hysteria to show its Protean form ; if I were to dwell 



MEXSTEUATIOX. — HYSTERIA. 127 

on all the symptoms, this book would not be large 
enough to hold them ! The head is often attacked 
with frightful pains^ especially over one eyebrow ; 
the pain is said to resemble that of the driving of a 
nail into the sknll. The patient is low-spirited and 
melancholy^ and^ without rhyme or reason^ very tear- 
ful. She likes to mope in a corner, and to shun 
society, and looks gloomily on all things. She is sub- 
ject to chokings in the throat — she feels as though a 
ball were rising in it. If this sensation should be in- 
tensified, she will have a hysterical paroxysm.* She 
has, at times, violent palpitation of the heart — mak- 
ing her fancy that she has a diseased heart, when she 
has nothing of the kind. She has short and hurried 
breathing. She has j)ains in her left side, under the 
short ribs. She has oftentimes violent pains of the 
bosom — making her very unhappy, as she firmly be- 
lieves that she has cancer of the breast. She has 
noisy eructations and belchings of ^^ wind,^' and spasms 
of the stomach and rumblings of the bowels. She 
has neuralgic pains in different parts of the body, 
first in one place, then in another, so that there is 
not a single part of her body which has not been 
more or less affected at some period or other. 

285. Hysteria frequently simulates paralysis, the 
patient complaining that she has suddenly lost all 
power in her arm or her leg, as the case may be. The 
paralytic symptom generally leaves as quickly as it 
comes ; only to show itself again after the slightest 

* I have dwelt so largely on the symptoms of a, Jit or par- 
oxysm of hysteria in one of my other Books — Advice to a 
Motlier — that I need not say more upon it in this work. I 
therefore beg to refer my fan* reader, interested in the sub- 
ject, to that volume. 



128 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

worry or excitement^ and sometimes even without any- 
apparent cause whatever. 

286. Hysteria will sometimes mimic either tetanus, 
or one particular form of tetanus^ namely, lock-jaw ; 
so that the patient^s body, in the one case, will be- 
come bent like a bow — she resting the while on her 
head and feet ; or, in the other case, the jaws will be 
locked as in lock-jaw ; but both the one and the other 
are unlike either tetanus or lock-jaw, as the two 
former are both evanescent, and unattended with 
danger ; wliile the two latter, if real, are of longer 
continuance, and are most perilous. 

287. There is another common symptom of hysteria, 
which is, the patient passing an immense quantity of 
clear, colorless, limpid urine, like water, the hyster- 
ical patient sometimes filling, in a very short time, a 
pot-de-cha7nlre. 

288. Flatulence is sometimes the torment of her 
life ; it not only causes much discomfort, but fre- 
quently great pain. The wind rumbles about the 
bowels outrageously ; first in one place, then in an- 
other, and then rising in volumes to her throat, 
almost chokes her. Her abdomen, is, at times, as 
largely distended as though she were advanced in 
pregnancy. 

289. There is another peculiarity of hysteria which 
is very characteristic of the complaint, namely, a 
hysterical patient is afraid to go either to church, or 
to any other place of worship. If she should venture 
there she feels as if she should be smothered or suf- 
focated, or as though the roof were going to fall upon 
her ; and, at the sound of the organ, she is inclined 
either to swoon away or to scream outright. When- 
ever she does go to church, she likes to sit near the 



J 



ME]vfSTRUATIO:N". — HYSTERIA. 139 

door^ in order that she may have jDlenty of air^ and 
that she may be able, if she feel so inclined^ to leave 
the church at any moment — she having no confidence 
in herself. The going to churchy then^ is with many 
a hysterical patient a real agony^ and sometimes even 
an impossibility. Many persons cannot understand 
the feelings of hysterical patients not wishing to go 
to church ; but doctors^ who see much of the com- 
plaint^ know that feeling thoroughly^ and can enter 
into and appreciate the horrors they at such times 
experience. 

290. It might be asked^ Can all these symptoms be 
cured ? I say emphatically that^ in the generality of 
cases, they may be, provided that the womb, and in 
consequence menstruation, by judicious treatment, 
is brought into a healthy condition. 

291. Many diseases that are considered by ladies to 
be desperate are purely hysterical, and are amenable 
to treatment. It may be well to state that hysteria 
may be real or feigned, or it may be a mixture of the 
two — partly real and partly feigned. It is, with single 
girls, frequently feigned ; with married women, it is 
usually real, and unless relieved, it is the misery of 
their lives. 

292. Although, in some instances, all the symptoms 
above enumerated may be present ; in others, some, 
or even many, of the symptoms may altogether be 
absent, and yet the complaint may decidedly be a case 
of genuine hysteria. 

293. There is one consolation for a patient who is 
hysterical : hysteria is usually curable ; while many 
other diseases that may counterfeit hysteria are in- 
curable. All doubtful cases require the careful in- 
vestigation of a judicious and experienced medical 

9 



130 ADYICE TO A WIFE. 

man to decide ; but Avhether a case be hysteria, or 
otherwise^ skilled treatment is absolutely needed. 

294. Sydenham, with his usual shrewdness, remarks 
that hysteria is ^^ constant only in inconstancy ; ^^ 
for there is scarcely a disease under the sun that hys- 
teria does not imitate, and that, sometimes, most ac- 
curately. Truly, hysteria is the most accomplished 
and versatile actress of the day ; she is, at one moment, 
tragic ; she is, the next, comic ; she is — 

'* Everything by starts., and nothing long." 

295. The sterile and the single woman are both 
much more prone than is the fruitful married woman 
to womb diseases, more especially during ^'change of 
life^^ ; it therefore behoves the sterile and the single 
woman, if they have, during ^^ change of life,^^ or at 
any other time, any suspicious womb symptoms, to 
consult, without loss of time, a doctor experienced in 
such matters, in order that, if the womb be at all 
affected, disease may, when jDracticable — and it often 
is practicable — be nipped in the bud. 

296. There is among young wives, of the higher 
ranks, of the present time, much hysteria ; indeed, it 
is among them, in one form or another, the most 
frequent complaint of the day. Can it be wondered 
at ? Certainly not. The fashionable system of spend- 
ing married life — such as late hours, close rooms, ex- 
citement, rounds of visiting, luxurious living — is 
quite enough to account for its prevalence. The 
menstrual function in a case of this kind is not duly 
performed ; it is either too much or too little in quan- 
tity ; ^' the periods ^^ occur too soon or too late, or at ir- 
regular periods. I need scarcely say that such a one 
until a different order of things be instituted, and 



MEXSTRUATIO>y^. — HYSTERIA. 131 

until proper and efficient means be used to restore 
healthy menstruation^ is not likely to conceive ; or, 
if she do conceive, she will most likely either mis- 
carry, or, if she go her time, will bring forth a puny, 
delicate child. Such a fashionable wife and happy 
mother are incompatibilities I Oh, it is sad to con- 
template the numerous victims that are sacrificed 
yearly on the shrine of fashion I The grievous part 
of the business is, that fashion is not usually amenable 
to reason and common sense ; argument, entreaty, rid- 
icule, are each and all alike in turn powerless in the 
matter. Be that as it may, I am determined boldly 
to proclaim the truth, and to make plain the awful 
danger of a wife becoming a votary of fashion. 

297. Many a lady, either from suppressed or from 
deficient menstruation, who is noAV hysterical and 
dyspeptic, weak and nervous, looking wretched, and 
whose very life is a burden, may, by applying to a 
medical man, be restored to health and strength. 

298. Menstruation is the gauge whether the womb 
be sound or otherwise ; it is an index, too, that may 
generally be depended uj)on, quite as much as the 
fruit on a tree indicates whether the tree be healthy 
or diseased. How large is the multitude of barren 
women ! How many disappointed homes in conse- 
quence I How much chronic ill-health in wives arises 
from unhealthy neglected menstruation I It is strange 
that, when relief may usually be readily obtained, such 
symptoms are allowed to go on unchecked and un- 
tended. The subject in hand is of vital importance ; 
indeed, menstruation, as a rule, decides whether a 
wife, shall be a healthy wife or a diseased wife — 
whether she shall be the cause of a hapjDy or of a dis- 
appointed home — whether she shall be blessed with a 



132 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

family or afflicted with barrenness. If snch be true, 
and it cannot be gainsaid, menstruation may be con- 
sidered one of the most important questions that can 
engage the earnest attention of both doctor and wife ; 
but unfortunately it is one that has hitherto been 
grievously neglected, as the many childless and deso- 
late homes of England abundantly testify. 

CHANGE OF LIFE, OR PREGNANCY, OR DISEASE OF 
THE WOMB ? 

299. How is a patient to distinguish, at about 
the time of her ^^ ceasing to be unwell,^^ if she be 
really pregnant, or merely going through the process 
of ^^ change of life," or if she have a tendency to a 
diseased womb ? The case must be taken in all its 
bearings ; the age of the jiatieiit ; the symptoms of 
pregnancy, over and above the cessation of menstru- 
ation, or the absence of such symptoms ; ^^ the 
periods " ; the sudden general fatness of the patient, 
or otherwise ; the general state of her health ; if she 
have a bearing-down, or " the whites," or other dis- 
charges to which she had not previously been subject. 
Women at the " change " frequently suffer from nerv- 
ous and other troubles — pains in the breast, discharge 
from the womb, pelvic or uterine pains. They fancy 
they have tumors, disease, cancer even. In the 
majority of instances the case is simply the loss of 
balance between the several functions. For a time 
tlie harmony usually working between the various 
organs is disturbed. The nervous system often gives 
the most prominent evidence of this disorder. It is 
important to recognize this truth. Disorder does 
not necessarily mean disease. 

300. The age. It is comparatively rare for ladies 



MENSTRUATION. — CHANGE OF LIFE. 133 

to conceive after the age of about forty-three years. 
For conception to occur after that age — it does^ how- 
ever^ sometimes— is considered the exception, and 
not the rule. 

301. The symptoms of pregnancy. These must be 
carefully studied, and as I shall have to go over them 
in a subsequent part of this book, I beg to refer my 
fair readers to those paragraphs ; I am alluding, of 
course, to the other symptoms described, besides 
cessation of menstruation. 

302. ''The periods.^' It being the ^^ change of life, ^"^ 
the periods have for some time been irregular, that is 
to say, have not come on regularly as was their wont, 
occurring more frequently or less frequently ; the loss 
being larger or smaller in quantity than it used to be ; 
in point of fact, the patient is now neither '' regular '^ 
as to time nor as to quantity, but varies in a most 
uncertain manner in both respects. 

303. The sudden general fatness of tlie patient, A 
lady at the " change of life ^' frequently becomes sud- 
denly fat ; there is not a bone to be seen, she is cush- 
ioned in fat ; her chin especially fattens, it becomes 
a double chin : she is '^ as fat as butter. ^^ A patient 
who is pregnant, particularly when late in life, fre- 
quently becomes, except in the abdomen, thin and 
attenuated ; her features, her nose and chin espe- 
cially, have a pinched and pointed appearance ; very 
different to the former case. 

304. (By way of parenthesis I may say, — There is 
one consolation for a lady who has a child late in 
life : it frequently, after it is over, does her health 
great good, and makes the '' change of life^^ pass off 
more favorably and kindly than it otherwise would 
have done. A lady who late in life is in the family 



134 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

way requires consolation^ for she usually suffers, at 
such times, very disagreeable symptoms, which make 
her feel very wretched. So that for her there is often 
— as there is in most all other affairs in the world — 
compensation ! ) 

305. The general state of the liealth must be taken 
into consideration. The patient may neither be 
pregnant, nor be laboring under the symptoms of 
^^ change of life,^^ alone ; but there may be other 
causes in operation as well, namely, threatening 
symptoms of a diseased womb, indicated by bearing- 
down of the womb, by severe '^ whites, ^^ and 
by other disagreeable discharges from the womb, 
which will require the care and treatment of a medi- 
cal man skilled in such matters, to cure or to relieve. 
A doctor should, in all doubtful cases, be at once 
consulted, as early treatment, in womb affections, is 
a great element of success. 

306. It should be borne in mind, too, that diseases 
of the womb are very apt to show themselves at the ' 
^' change of life,^^ more especially when a lady has 
never had a child. These facts should make a wife, 
at such times, doubly diligent, as ^"^to be forewarned 
is to be forearmed,^^ and thus to be prepared, in all 
doubtful cases, by calling in advice in time, for any 
and for every emergency and contingency that may 
arise. How much misery and ill-health might, if 
this counsel were followed, be averted ! The womb 
is the cause of much, indeed of most, of the bad 
health and suffering of ladies, not only during 
^^ change of life,^^ but during the whole period of 
womanhood — from puberty to old age ; there may be 
displacement, or bearing-dow^n, or disease, or disorder 
of the womb : — hence the importance of our subject. 



MEKSTRUATION". — CHANGE OF LIFE. 135 

and the great need of careful investigation, and of 
early treatment. How many people lock wp the 
stable when the horse is stolen ! How many persons 
defer applying for relief until it be too late — too 
late ! 

THE ^' CHANGE OF LIFE." 

307. As soon as a lady ceases to be ^^ after the 
manner of women ^^ — that is to say, as soon as she 
ceases to menstruate — it is said that she has ^^ a change 
of life '/^ and if she does not take proper care, she 
will soon have '^a change of health'" to boot, which 
in all probability will be for the worse. '' Change of 
life ^^ is sometimes called ^''the critical period."" It 
well deserves its name — it is one of the critical 
periods of a woman's life, and oftentimes requires the 
counsel of a doctor experienced in such matters to 
skillfully treat. 

308. After a continuation of about thirty years of 
^^the periods/" a woman ceases to menstruate — that is 
to say, when she is about forty-four or forty-five 
years of age, and, occasionally, as late in life as when 
she is forty-eight years of age, she has '^ change of 
life,"" or, as it is sometimes called, ^*^a turn of years"" 
— '^ the turn of life.'" Now, before this takes place, 
she oftentimes becomes very "^^ irregular ; "" she is at 
one time '^ unwell "" before her proper period ; at 
another time either before or after ; so that it be- 
comes a dodging time with her, as it is styled. In a 
case of this kind menstruation is sometimes very pro- 
fuse ; it is at another very sparing ; it is occasionally 
light-colored — almost colorless ; it is sometimes as 
red as from a cut finger ; while it is now and then 
dark, and as thick as treacle. 



136 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

309. When a lady is about having the ^^ change of 
lite/' violent flooding is apt to come on — as profuse 
as though she were miscarrying. Thus violent flood- 
ing is often the finale of her ^"^ periods/^ and she sees 
no more of them. 

310. Others^ again^ more especially the active and 
abstemious^ suffer so little at ^^ change of life/' that, 
without any premonitory symptoms whatever, it sud- 
denly, in due time, leaves them — they the while ex- 
periencing neither pain nor inconvenience. 

311. A lady at the ^^ change of life'' usually begins 
to take more food ; fat moi-e especially accumulates 
about the bosom and about the abdomen, thus giving 
her a matronly appearance, and, now and then, 
making her believe that she is enceinte, especially if 
the ^^ wish be father to the thought." So firmly has 
she sometimes been convinced herself of being in an 
interesting condition, that she has actually prepared 
baby-linen for the expected event, and has even en- 
gaged her monthly nurse. Now, it would be well, 
before such a one makes up her mind that she is 
really pregnant, to consult an experienced doctor in 
the matter, and then her mind would be set at rest, 
and all unpleasant gossip and silly jokes be silenced. 
Skilled knowledge, in every doubtful case, is the 
only knowledge worth the having ; the opinion of old 
women, in such matters, is indeed of scant value ! 

312. She has peculiar pains, sometimes in one 
place and then in another ; the head is often affected, 
at one time the back, at another time the front, over 
her eyes, light and noise having but little or no effect 
in aggravating the headache. She is very ^^ nervous," 
as it is called, and has frequent flutterings of the heart, 
and sudden flushings of the face and neck — causing 



ME2s"STRUATI0X. — CHANGE OF LIFE. 13? 

her to become, to her great annoyance, as red as 
a peon}' ! The nervous symptoms at the '' change of 
life^^ often involve intense mental suffering. The 
patient frequently imagines that she is becoming in- 
sane. With due treatment all this passes off. 

313. She has swellings and pains of her breast, so 
as often to make her fancy that she has some malig- 
nant tumor there. She is troubled much with 
flatulence, and with pains, sometimes on the right, 
and at other times on the left side of the abdomen. 
The flatulence is occasionally very troublesome, so as 
to cause her to shun society, and to make her life 
almost burdensome ; she has not only '' wind^^ in the 
bowels, but '^wind''^ in the stomach, Avhich fre- 
quently rises up to her throat, making her sometimes 
hysterical. Indeed, she is often hysterical — a little 
thing making her laugh or cry, or both the one and 
the other in a breath I She has frequently pains in 
her left side^n the region of the short ribs. She 
has pains in her back — in the lower part of her back, 
and low down in her abdomen. 

314. The nose is, at these times, very much in- 
clined to bleed, more especially at what was formerly 
her ^^period.^^ Nature is doing all she can to effect 
relief, and, therefore, should not be meddled with 
unnecessarily. The nose should be allowed to bleed 
on, unless, indeed, the bleeding be very profuse. 

315. Eruptions of the skin, more especially on the 
face, are at such times very apt to occur, so as to 
make a perfect fright of a comely woman ; there is 
one comfort for her — the eruption, with judicious 
treatment, will gradually disappear, leaving no 
blemish behind. 

316. The above symptoms, either a few or all of 



138 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

them, at the " change of life^^ are of common occur- 
rence, and require the assistance of a doctor experi- 
enced in such matters. If they be neglected, serious 
consequences may, and most likely will, ensue : 
while, on the other hand, if they be properly treated, 
such symptoms will gradually subside, leaving her in 
excellent health — better, probably, than she has 
been in for years, more especially if her constitution 
has been previously weakened by repeated child- 
births. 

317. Fat is apt, at these times, to accumulate 
about the throat and about the chin — giving her a 
double chin. There is oftentimes, too, a slight in- 
dication of a beard. 

318. We sometimes hear of a lady being ^^fat, fair 
and forty. ^^ Now, when a wife, at the age of forty, 
suddenly becomes very fat, however ^^ fair^^ she may 
be — and she is often very fair — she seldom has any 
more family, even though she be ^^ regular ^^ — the 
sudden fatness often denoting premature ^^ change of 
life.^^ If such a one had, before the fat had accumu- 
lated, taken more out-door exercise, she would, in all 
probability, have kept her fat down, and would thus 
have prevented premature ^^ change of life.^^ Active, 
bustling women are seldom very fat, and sometimes 
have their ^^ periods ^' until they are forty-eight years 
of age ; indeed they occasionally bear children at that 
age, and have splendid confinements. How true it 
is, that luxurious living and small families, and hard 
and tedious labors and premature decay, generally go 
hand in hand together ! But so it is, and so it 
always will be ; luxury draws heavy bills on the con- 
stitution, which must eventually be paid, and that 
with heavy and with compound interest. 



MEXSTRUATIOX. — CHAXGE OF LIFE. 139 

310. Bleeding piles are very apt to occur at the 
'' change of life '^ ; they frequently come on periodi- 
cally. Now, bleeding piles, at such times as these, 
may be considered a good sign, as an effort of IsTature 
to relieve herself, and to be very beneficial to health, 
and therefore ought not, unless very violent, to be 
interfered with, and certainly not without the con- 
sent of a judicious medical man. Meddling with 
Xature is a dangerous matter, and is a hazardous 
game to play I 

320. When ^^ change of life'' begins, — during its 
continuance, and for some time afterwards, — a lady 
labors at times, as above stated, under great flushings 
of heat ; she, as it were, blushes all over ; she gets 
very hot and red, almost scarlet, then perspires, and 
afterwards becomes cold and chilly. These flushings 
occur at very irregular periods ; they may come on 
once or twice a day, at other times only once or twice 
a week, and occasionally only at what would have 
been her ^^ periods.'^ These flushings may be looked 
upon as rather favorable symptoms, and as a struggle 
of Xature to relieve herself through the skin. They 
are occasionally attended with hysterical symptoms. 
A little appropriate medicine is desirable. A lady 
while laboring under these heats is generally very 
much annoyed and distressed ; but she ought to com- 
fort herself with the knowledge that they are in all 
probability doing her good service, and that they may 
be warding off from some internal organ of her body 
serious mischiefs. 

321. The '^ change of life,^^ then, is one of the most 
important periods of a lady^s existence, and generally 
determines whether, for the rest other da}^s, she shall 
either be healthy or otherwise. It therefore impera- 



140 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

tively behoves her to pay attention to the subject, and 
in all cases, when it is about to take place, to consult 
a medical man, who will, in the majority of cases, 
be of great benefit to her, as he will be able not only 
to relieve the symptoms above enumerated, but to 
ward off many important and serious diseases to which 
she would otherwise be liable. When the ^^ change 
of life '^ ends favorably, which if properly managed, 
it generally does, she may improve in constitution, 
and may really enjoy better health and spirits, and 
more comfort than she has done for many previous 
years. A lady who has during her wifehood eschewed 
fashionable society, and who lias lived simply, plainly, 
and sensibly, who has avoided stimulants, and who 
has taken plenty of outdoor exercise, will during the 
autumn and winter of her existence reap her reward 
by enjoying what is the greatest earthly blessing — 
health ! Not only her health will be established, but 
her comeliness and youthfulness will be prolonged. 
Although she may not have the freshness and bloom 
of youth, which is very evanescent, but will probably 
have a beauty of her own, which is ofttimes more 
lasting than that of youth, telling of a well-spent life — 

"And yet 'tis said, there's beauty that will last 
When the rose withers and the bloom be past." 

Crdbbe, 

322. It is surprising how soon a fashionable life 
plants crow-feet on the face and wrinkles on the 
brow ; indeed, a fashionist becomes old before her 
time ; and not only old, but querulous and dissatisfied. 
Nothing ages the countenance, sours the temper, and 
interferes with " the critical period, ^^ more than a 
fashionable life. Fashion is a hard, and cruel, and 



I 
I 



MEKSTRUATIOX. — CHANGE OF LIFE. 141 

exacting creditor, who will be paid to the uttermost 
farthing — 

" See the wild purchase of the bold and Tain, 
Whose every bliss is bought with equal pain." 

— Juvenal. 

323. With regard to stimulants during the '' change 
of life/^ let me raise my voice loudly against the aluse 
of them. Beyond a very moderate quantity they be- 
come, during the period of the '^ change of life/^ 
positively injurious. There is a great temptation for 
a lady during that time to take a stimulant, for she 
feels weak and depressed, and it gives her temporary 
relief ; but, alas I it is only temporary relief — the ex- 
citement from it is evanescent, and aggravated de- 
pression and increased weakness are sure to follow in 
the train of the ahuse of it. 

324. Although many women at the ^^ change of 
life '' derive some benefit from taking a stimulant, 
others, at such times, are better without any stimulant 
whatever. When such be the case, let them be 
thorough teetotalers. A tumblerful or two of fresh 
milk during the twenty-four hours is, for those who 
cannot take a stimulant, an excellent substitute. 



PART n. 



PREGNANCY. 



Of the fruit of thy body.— The Psalms. 

The fruitful vine.— The Psalms. 

The fruit of the w'o»i6.— Genesis. 

The children which were yet unborn.— The Psalms. 

TJiy children icithin thee.— The Psalms. 



SIGNS OF PREGNANCY. 

325. The first sign that leads a hidy to suspect that 
she is pregnant is her ceasing-to-ie-umcelL This, 
provided she has just before been in good health, 
is a strong symptom of pregnancy ; but still, there 
must be others to cori'oborate it. 

326. A healthy married woman, during the period 
of child-bearing, suddenly ceasing-to-be-unwell is of 
itself alone almost a sure and certain sign of preg- 
nancy, requiring but little else besides to confirm it. 
This fact is well known by all who have had children. 
They base their predictions and their calculations 
upon it, and upon it alone, and are seldom deceived. 

327. But as ccnsing-fo-be-unwell may proceed from 
other causes than that of pregnancy, such as disease 
or disorder of the womb or of other organs of the 

142 



PREGXA:N^CY. — MORXIXG SICKXESS. 143 

body — especially of the lungs — it is not by itself alone 
entirely to be depended upon ; although^ as a single 
sign, it is, especially if the patient be healthy, one of 
the most reliable of all the other signs of pregnancy. 

328. The next symptom is morning-sickness. This 
is an early symptom of pregnancy. It sometimes oc- 
curs a few days, and indeed generally not later than 
a fortnight or three weeks after conception. It is 
frequently distressing, oftentimes amounting to vomit- 
ing, and causing a loathing of breakfast. This sign 
usually disappears after the first three or four months. 
Morning-sickness is not always present in pregnancy ; 
but, nevertheless, it is a frequent accompaniment ; 
and many who have had families place more reliance 
on this than on any other symptom. Being one of 
the earliest, if not the very earliest, symptom of 
pregnancy, it is, by some ladies, taken as their start- 
ing-point from which to commence making their 
" count.'' 

329. Morning-sickness, then, if it does not arise 
from a disordered stomach, is a trustworthy sign of 
pregnancy. A lady who has once had morning -sick- 
ness can always for the future distinguish it from 
each and from every other sickness ; it is a peculiar 
sickness, which no other sickness can simulate. 
Moreover, it is emphatically a morning-sickness — the 
patient being, as a rule, for the rest of the day 
entirely free from sickness or from the feeling of 
sickness. 

330. A third symptom is sliooting, tliToMing, and 
lancinating pains in, and enlargement of tliehr easts, 
loith soreness of the nipples, occurring about the sec- 
ond month. In some instances, after the first few 
months a small quantity of watery fluid, or a little. 



144 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

milk^ may be squeezed out of them. This latter 
symptom, in a first pregnancy, is valuable, and can 
generally be relied on as fairly conclusive of preg- 
nancy. It is not so valuable in an after pregnancy, 
as a little milk may remain in the breasts for some 
months after a lady has weaned her child, even should 
she not be pregnant. 

331. Milk in the breast, however small it may be 
in quantity, especially in the first pregnancy, is a 
reliable sign, indeed, I might go so far as to say, a 
certain sign, of pregnancy. 

332. Tlie veins of the l)reast look more blue, and 
are consequently mere conspicuous than usual, giv- 
ing the bosom a mottled appearance. The breasts 
themselves are firmer and more knotty to the touch. 
The nipples, in tlie majority of cases, look more 
healthy than customary, and are somewhat elevated 
and enlarged ; there is generally a slight moisture 
uj)on their surface, sufficient in some instances to 
mark the linen. 

333. A dark brown areola or disc may usually be 
noticed around the nipple, the change of color com- 
mencing about the second month. The tint at first 
is light brown, but gradually deepens in intensity, 
until the color may be very dark towards the end of 
pregnancy. The darkening of the skin round the 
nipple is not, however, always discernible. Even 
when it is, it may not necessarily mean pregnancy. 
The great sign is the apjiearance of milk, even only a 
few drops, in the breasts. 

334. A dark hroivn areola or marh around the 
nipple is one of the distinguishing signs of pregnancy 
— more especially of the first pregnancy. Women 
who have had large families seldom, even when they 



PREG^^AXCY. — QUICKEXIXG. ' 145 

are not enciente, lose this mark entirely ; but when 
they are pregnant it is more intensely dark — the 
darkest brown — especially if they be brunettes. 

335. A fourth symptom is quickening. This gen- 
erally occurs about the completion of i\\Q fourth cal- 
endar month ; sometimes a week or so before the 
end of that period ; at other times a week or two 
later. A lady sometimes quickens as early as the 
tliird month, while others, although rarely, quicken 
as late as the fifth, and, in very rare cases, the sixth 
month. It will therefore be seen that there is an 
uncertainty as to the period of quickening, although, 
as I before remarked, the usual period occurs either 
on, or a week or so before, the completion of the 
fourth calendar month of pregnancy. 

336. Quickening is one of the most important signs 
of pregnancy, and one of the most valuable, as at the 
moment it occurs, as a rule, the motion of the child 
is first felt, whilst, at the same time, there is a sudden 
increase in the size of the abdomen. Quickening is a 
proof that nearly half the time of pregnancy has 
passed. If there be a liability to miscarry, quicken- 
ing makes matters more safe, as there is less likeli- 
hood of a miscarriage after than hefonre it. 

337. A lady at this time frequently feels faint or 
actually faints away ; she is often giddy, or sick, or 
nervous, and in some instances even hysterical ; al- 
though, in rare cases, some women do not even know 
the precise time when they quicken. 

338. The sensation of ^*' quickening^' is said by 
many ladies to resemble the fluttering of a bird ; by 
others it is likened to a heaving, or beating, or rear- 
ing, or leaping sensation, accompanied sometimes 
with a frightened feeling. These flutterings, or 

lO 



146 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

heavings^ or beatings, or leapings, after the first day 
of quickening, usually come on half or a dozen times 
a day, although it may happen, for days together, 
the patient does not feel the movement of the child 
at all, or if she does, but very slightly. 

339. The more frequent description given by a 
lady of her feelings, when she hsis first ^^ quickened, ^^ 
is that it is more like ^^the flutterings of a bird ;^^ 
when she is about another month gone with child — 
that is to say, in her six month — that it more resem- 
bles ^^a leaping in the womb,^^ or, in the expressive 
language of the Bible, '^ the babe leaped in her womb.^^ 
The difference of the sensation between ^' fluttering ^^ 
and ^Heaping ^^ might in this wise be accounted for : 
the child between four and five months is scarcely 
old enough, or strong enough, to leap — he is only 
able to flutter ; but, when tlie mother is in the sixth 
month (as the case recorded in the Holy Scri2")tures), 
the child is stronger, and he is able to leap : hence 
the reason why he first flutters, and after a time 
leaps ! 

340. ^' Quickening '' arises from the ascending of 
the womb higher into the abdomen, as, from its in- 
creased size, thete is not room for it below. More- 
over, another cause of quickening is, the child has 
reached a further stage of development, and has, in 
consequence, become stronger both in its muscular 
and nervous structure, so as to liave strength and 
motion of his limbs, powerful enough to kick and 
plunge about the womb, and thus to give the sensa- 
tion of '^'^ quickening. ^^ 

341. The old-fashioned idea was that the child was 
not alive until a woman had quickened. This is a 
mistaken notion, as he is alive, or '^ quick, ^^ from the 



PRECT:N^Ais^CY. — aboiitio:n^. li? 

very commencement of his formation. Hence the 
heinous sin of a single woman^ in the early months 
of pregnancy, using means to promote abortion : it 
is as much murder as though the child were at his 
full time^ or as though he were butchered when he 
was actually born ! An attempt, then, to procure 
abortion is a crime of the deepest dye, viz., a heinous 
murder I It is attended, moreover, with fearful con- 
sequences to the mother^s own health ; it may either 
cause her immediate death, or it may so grievously 
injure her constitution that she may never recover 
from the shock. If these fearful consequences ensue, 
she ought not to be pitied ; she richly deserves them 
all. Our profession is a noble one, and every qualified 
member of it would scorn and detest the very idea 
either of promoting or of procuring an abortion ; but 
there are unqualified villains who practise the dam- 
nable art. Transportation, if not hanging, ought to be 
their doom. The seducers, who often assist and abet 
them in their nefarious practices, should share their 
punishment. 

342. Dr. Taj'lor, on the '^'^ legal relations '^ of abor- 
tion, gives, in his valuable work on Medical JiiriS' 
prudejice, the following : — ^^ The English law relative 
to criminal abortion is laid down in the statute 1 
Vict. c. Ixxxv. sec. 6. By it, capital })unishment, 
which formerly depended on whether the female had 
quickened or not, is abolished. The words of the 
statute are as follows : — ' Whosoever, Avith the intent 
to procure the miscarriage of any woman, shall un- 
lawfully administer to her, or cause to be taken by 
her, any poison or other noxious thing, or shall un- 
lawfully use any instrument or other means whatso- 
ever with the like intent, shall be guilty of felony, 



148 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

and being convicted thereof^ shall be liable^ at the 
discretion of the courts to be transported beyond the 
seas for the term of his or her natural life^ or for any 
term not less than fifteen years^ or to be imprisoned 
for any term not exceeding three years/ ^^ 

343. Flatulence has sometimes misled a young wife 
to fancy that she has quickened ; but, in determin- 
ing whether she be pregnant, she ought never to be 
satisfied with one symptom alone ; if she be, she will 
frequently be misled. The following are a few of 
the symptoms that will distinguish the one from the 
other : — In flatulence the patient is small one hour 
and large the next ; while in pregnancy the enlarge- 
ment is persistent, and daily and gradually increases. 
In flatulence, on pressing the bowels firmly, a rum- 
bling of wind may be heard, which will move about at 
will ; while the enlargement of the womb in pregnancy 
is solid, resistant, and stationary. In flatulence, on 
tapping — percussing — the abdomen, tliere will be a 
hollow sound elicited as from a drum ; while in preg- 
nancy it will be a dull, heavy sound, as from thrum- 
ming on a table. In flatulence, if the points of the 
fingers be firmly pressed into the abdomen, the wind 
will wobble about them ; in pregnancy they will be 
resisted as by a wall of fiesh. 

344. The fifth symptom is, immediately after the 
the quickening, increased size and hardness of the 
abdomen. An accumulation of fat covering the ab- 
domen has sometimes led a lady to suspect that she 
is pregnant ; but the soft and doughy feeling of the 
fat is very different to the hardness, solidity, and re- 
sistance of the pressure of pregnancy. 

345. Increased size and hardness of the abdomen is 
very characteristic of pregnancy. When a lady is not 



I 



PREGNANCY. — E:MACIATI0K. 149 

pregnant the abdomen is soft and flaccid ; when she 
is pregnant^ and after she has quickened^ the abdo- 
men^ over the region of the womb^ is hard and resist- 
ing. 

346. The sixth symptom is poxding or protriision 
of the navel. This symptom does not occur until 
some time after a lady has quickened ; indeed, for 
the first two months of pregnancy the navel is drawn 
in and depressed. As the pregnancy advances, the 
navel gradually comes more forward. It may ulti- 
mately become smoothed out on the same level as the 
skin of the abdomen. Sometimes it may become so 
stretched as to bulge forward beyond the abdominal 
skin. It may then contain a coil of intestine, and is 
called umbilical hernia. 

347. The seventh symptom- is emaciation. The 
face, especially the nose, becomes pinched and 
pointed ; the features altered — a pretty woman be- 
coming, for a time, plain ; these appearances generally 
occur in the eai^ly months ; the face, as the pregnancy 
advances, gradually resumes its pristine comeliness. 
Emaciation occurs from other causes besides those of 
pregnancy ; but still, if there be emaciation, together 
with other signs of pregnancy, it tends to confirm the 
patient in her convictions that she is enceinte. 

348. Many a plump lady, then, tells of her preg- 
nancy by her sudden emaciation. There is one com- 
fort — as soon as the pregnancy is over, if not before, 
the body usually regains its former plumpness. 

349. The eighth symptom is irritability of the 
Uaddery which is sometimes one of the early signs of 
pregnancy, as it is, likewise, frequently one of the 
early symptoms of labor. The irritability of the 
bladder, in early pregnancy, is oftentimes very dis- 



150 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

tressing and very painful — the patient being dis- 
turbed from her sleep several times in the night to 
make water — making generally but a few drops at a 
time. This symptom usually leaves her as soon as 
she has quickened ; to return again — but, in this lat- 
ter instance, usually without pain — just before the 
commencement of labor. 

350. In the way of relief, one of the best remedies 
is a small teaspoonf ul of sweet spirits of nitre, in a 
wineglassful of water, taKen at bedtime. Another 
is, drinking plentifully, as a beverage, of barley water 
with best gum arable dissolved in it — half an ounce 
of gum to every pint of barley water — the gum arabic 
being dissolved in the barley water by putting them 
both in a saucepan over the fire, and stirring them 
until the gum be dissolved. This beverage may be 
sweetened according to taste, either with sugar-candy 
or with lump sugar. The best relief is afforded by 
wearing, during the day, a good obstetric belt made 
to fit properly ; and by bandaging the abdomen at 
night with a flannel binder, or using a flannel or linen 
belt. 

351. Sleepiness, heaiihiirn, increased floio of saliva 
(amounting in some cases, even to salivation), tooth- 
ache, loss of appetite, longings, excitability of mind, 
eruptions on the shin, and lihes and dislikes in eat- 
ing, — these symptoms — the one or the other — fre- 
quently accompany pregnancy. As they may arise 
from other causes, they are not to be relied on fur- 
ther than this — that if they attend the more certain 
signs of pregnancy, such as cessation of being '^ regu- 
lar,^' morning-sickness, pains and enlargement of and 
milk in the breasts, the gradually darkening brown 
areola or mark around the nipple, etc. , they will then 



PREGNANCY. — SLEEPINESS. 151 

make assurance doubly sure^ and a lady may know for 
certain that she is pregnant.* 

352. Sleepiness often accompanies pregnancy — the 
patient being .able to sleep in season and out of 
season — often falling asleep while in company, so 
that she can scarcely keep her eyes open I 

353. Heartburn, — Some pregnant ladies are much 
afflicted with heartburn ; for affliction it assuredly 
is ; but heartburn, as a rule, although very disagree- 
able, is rather a sign that the patient will go her 
time. Moreover, heartburn is very amenable to treat- 
ment, and may generally be much relieved by am- 
monia and soda — a prescription for. which appears in 
these pages (see ^^ Heartburn in Pregnancy). ^^ 

354. Increased flow of saliva is sometimes a symp- 
tom of pregnancy, amounting, in rare cases, to reg- 
ular salivation — the patient being, for a time, in a 
pitiable condition. It lasts usually for days ; but 
sometimes, even for weeks, and is most disagreeable, 
but is not at all dangerous. 

355. Toothache is a frequent sign of pregnancy — 
pregnancy being often very destructive to the teeth 
— destroying one with every child ! During preg- 



* This work is exclusively intended for the perusal of 
wives. I beg however, to observe that there is one sign of 
pregnancy which I have not pointed out, but which to a 
medical man is very conclusive ; I mean the sounds of the 
foetal heart, indicated by the stethoscope, and which is for 
the first time heard somewhere about the fifth month. 
Moreover, there are other means besides the stethoscope 
known to a doctor, by which he can with certainty tell 
whether a woman be pregnant or otherwise, but which 
would be quite out of place to describe in a popular work 
of this kind. 



152 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

nancy it is better to leave the teeth alone. The 
toothache usually disappears with the close of the 
pregnancy. 

356. Loss of appetite — Some ladies- have, during 
pregnancy — more especially during the early months 
— wretched appetites ; they loathe their food, and 
dread the approach of meal-times. While others, on 
the contrary eat more heartily during pregnancy 
than at any other period of their lives — they are ab- 
solutely ravenous, and can scarcely satisfy their 
hunger ! 

357. The longings of a pregnant lady are some- 
times truly absurd ; but, like almost everything else, 
^' it grows upon what it is fed.^^ They long for suck- 
ing pig, for the cracklings of pork, for raw carrots and 
raw turnips, for raw meat — for anything and for every- 
thing that is unwholesome, and which they would at 
any other time loathe and turn away from in disgust. 
The best plan of treatment to adopt for a pregnant 
lady, who has longings, is not to give way to sucli 
longings, unless, indeed, the longings be of a harm- 
less, simple nature, and tlien they will soon pass by 
harmlessly. 

358. ExcitaMlity of mind is very common in preg- 
nancy, more especially if the patient be delicate ; in- 
deed, excitability is a sign of debility, and requires 
plenty of good nourishment, but few stimulants. 

359. Lihes and dislikes in eating are of frequent 
occurrence in pregnancy — particularly in early preg- 
nancy — more especially if the patient liave naturally 
a weak disgestion. If her digestion be weak, she is 
sure to have a disordered stomach — one following the 
other in regular sequence. A little appropriate medi- 
cine, from a medical man, will remedy the evil, and 



PREGXAKCY. — CLOTHING. 153 

im2)rove the digestion^ and thus do away with likes 
and dislikes in eating. 

361. Eruptions on tlte shin — principally on the face, 
neck, and throat — are tell-tales of pregnancy, and, to 
an experienced matron publish the fact that an 
acquaintance thus marked is enceinte, 

CLOTHING. 

360. Some newly-married wives, to hide their preg- 
nancy from their friends and acquaintances, screw 
themselves up in tight stays and in tight dresses. 
Now, this is not only foolish, but it is dangerous 
and may cause a miscarriage, or a premature labor, 
or a cross-birth, or a bearing-down of the womb. A 
wife, then, more especially during pregnancy, should 
to the breasts and to the abdomen — 

" Give ample room and verge enough." 

The neck swells, especially the gland called the thy- 
roid in front of the neck. Undue enlargement of 
this gland constitutes goitre. 

In all ages poets, by the divine afflatus gifted be- 
yond other men with true insight into the energies of 
the animated world, have been struck with the trans- 
forming force of pregnancy. And so Browning, the 
greatest of all poets, in mental analysis, describes — 

*' The strange and passionate precipitance 
Of maiden into motherhood, 
Which changes body and soul by Nature's law ; 
So when the she-dove breeds, strange yearnings come 
For the unknown shelter by undreamed-of shores ; 
And there is born a blood-pulse in her lieart 
To fight if needs be, though with flap of wing, 
For the wool-flock or the fur-tuft, though a hawk 
Contest the prize." 



154 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

362. A lady who is pregnant ought on no account 
to wear tight dresses, as the child should have plenty 
of room. She ought to be, as enceinte signifies, in- 
cinda, or unbound. Let the clothes be adapted to 
the gradual development, both of the abdomen and 
the breasts. She must, whatever she may usually do, 
wear her stays loose. If there be bones in the stays 
let them be removed. Tight lacing is injurious both 
to the mother and to the child, and frequently causes 
the former to miscarry ; at another time it has pro- 
duced a cross-birth ; and sometimes it has so pressed 
in the nipples as to prevent a proper development of 
them, so that where a lady has gone her time, she 
has been unable to suckle her infant, tlie attempt 
often causing an abscess in tlie breast. * These are 
real misfortunes, and entail great misery both on the 
mother and on the child, — if it has not already killed 
him, — and ought to be a caution and a warning to 
every lady for the future. But the great thing is for 
a mother to begin from the beginning, and for lior 
never to allow her daughter to wear stays at all, and 
then those painful consequences could not possibly 
ensue. If stays had never been invented, how much 
misery, deformity, disease, and death might have 
been averted ! 

363. The feet and the legs during pregnancy are 
very apt to swell and to be painful, and the veins of 
the legs to be largely distended. The garters ought 
at such times, if worn at all, to be worn loosely, as 
tight garters are highly injurious ; and if the veins 
be very much distended it will be necessary for her to 
wear a properly adjusted elastic silk stocking, made 
purposely to fit her foot and leg, and which a medi- 
cal man will himself procure for her. It is highly 



PREGXAXCY. — ABLUTION. 155 

11 3cessary that a well-fitting elastic stocking be worn : 
otherwise it will do more harm than good. The feet 
and legs, in such a case, should, during the day, be 
frequently rested, on a leg-rest, or on a footstool, or 
on a sofa. 

ABLUTION. 

364. Kliot bath in pregnancy is too relaxing. A 
tepid bath once a week is beneficial. Sponging the 
whole of the body every morning with lukewarm 
water may with safety and advantage be adopted, 
gradually reducing the temperature of the water 
until it be used quite cold. The skin should, with 
moderately coarse towels, be quickly but thoroughly 
dried. 

365. Either the hidet or sitz-bath* ought every 
morning to be used. The patient should first sponge 
herself, and then finish up by sitting for a few sec- 
onds in the water ; in the winter while she can count 
fifty, or, in the summer, she can count a hundred. 
It is better not to be long in the bath ; it is a slight 
shock that is required, which, where the sitz-bath 
agrees, is immediately followed by an agreeable glow 
of the whole body. If she sits in the water for a long 
time, she becomes chilled and tired, and is very likely 
to catch cold. While sitting in the bath she should 
throw either a woollen shawl or a small blanket over 
her shoulders. She tcill find the greatest comfort and 
benefit from adopting the above recommendation. In- 
stead of giving it will prevent cold, and it will be 
one of the means of warding off a miscarriage, and 
of keeping her in good health. 



* The hidet may be procured of a cabinet-maker, the 
sitz-bath of a furnishing ironmonger. 



156 ADVICE TO A AVIFE. 

oOG. A shower-bath in pregniuicy gives too great a 
shocks and might induce a miscarriage. I should 
not recommend for a lady who is pregnant, sea-b^^th- 
ing ; nevertheless, if she be delicate^ and if she be 
prone to miscarry, change of air to the coast, pro- 
vided it be not too far away from her home, and in- 
haling the sea-breezes, may brace her, and ward off 
the tendency. But although sea-bathing be not de- 
sirable, sponging the body w ith sea-w^ater may be of 
great service. 

AIR AND EXERCISE. 

367. A young wife, in her first pregnancy, usually 
takes too long walks. This is a common cause of 
flooding, of viiscarriage, and of hearing-doivn, of the 
womh. As soon, therefore, as a lady has the slightest 
suspicion that she is enceinte^ she must be careful in 
the taking of exercise. 

368. Although long w^alks are injurious, she ought 
not to run into an opposite extreme. Short, gentle, 
and frequent walks during the whole period of preg- 
nancy cannot be too strongly recommended. A lady 
who is enceinte ought to live half her time in the 
open air. Fresh air and exercise prevent many of 
the unpleasant symptoms attendant on that state ; 
they keep her in health ; they tend to open her 
bowels ; and they relieve that sensation of faintness 
and depression so common and distressing in early 
pregnancy. 

369. Exercise, fresh air, and occupation, are then 
essentially necessary in pregnancy. If they be neg- 
lected, hard and tedious labors are likely to ensue. 
One, and an important, reason of the easy and quick 
labors, and rapid '' gettings about '^ of poor women, 



PREGXANCY. — AIR AXD EXERCISE. 157 

is they are greatly due to the abnndanee of exercise 
and of occupation which they are daily and hourly 
obliged to get through. A poor woman thinks but 
little of a confinement^ while a rich one is full of 
anxiety about the result. Let the rich lady adopt 
the poor woman^s industrious and abstemious habits^ 
and labor need not then be looked forward to, as it 
frequently now is, either with dread or with appre- 
hension. 

370. Stooping, lifting of heavy weights, and over- 
reaching ought to be carefully avoided. Avoid toil- 
ing up hills or stairs. When down to breakfast, 
down for the day if possible. In any case, as little 
climbing stairs or standing as possible. Eunning, 
horse-exercise, cycling, and dancing are likewise 
dangerous — they frequently induce a miscarriage. 

371. Indolence is most injurious in j)regnancy. It 
is impossible for a pregnant lady, who is reclining all 
day on a sofa or an easy chair, to be strong : such a 
habit is most enervating to the mother, and weaken- 
ing to the unborn babe. It is the custom of some 
ladies, as soon as they become enceinte, to fancy them- 
selves confirmed invalids, and to lie down, in conse- 
quence, the greater part of every day ; now this plan, 
instead of refreshing them, depresses them exceed- 
ingly. The only time for them to lie down is, occa- 
sionally in the day, when they are really tired, and 
when they absolutely need the refreshment of rest — 

** The sedentary stretch their lazy length 
When Custom bids, but no refreshment find 
For none they need." — Cowper, 

372. A lady who, during the greater part of the 
day, lounges about on easy chairs, and who seldom 



158 ADVICE TO A WIPE. 

walks out, has a much more lingering and painful 
labor than one who takes moderate and regular open 
air exercise, and who attends to her household duties. 
An active life is, then, the principal reason why the 
wives of the poor have such quick and easy labors, 
and such good recoveries ; why their babies are so 
rosy, healthy, and strong, notwithstanding the priva- 
tions and hardships and poverty of the parents — 

" Be not solitary, be not idle." — Burton, 

373. Bear in mind, then, that a lively, active 
woman has an easier and quicker labor, and a finer 
race of children, than one who is lethargic and indo- 
lent. Idleness brings misery, anguish, and suffering 
in its train, and particularly affects pregnant ladies. 
Oh that these words would have due weight, then 
this book will not have been written in vain ! The 
hardest work in the world is having nothing to do ! 
^^Idle people have the most labor /^ this is partic- 
ularly true in pregnancy ; a lady will, when labor 
actually sets in, find to her cost that idleness has 
given her most labor I ^^ Idleness is the badge of 
gentry, the bane of body and mind, the nurse of 
Naughtiness, the step-mother of Discipline, the chief 
author of all Mischief, one of the seven deadly sins, 
the cushion upon which the Devil chiefly reposes, 
and a great cause not only of Melancholy, but of 
many other diseases, for the mind is naturally active, 
and if it be not occupied about some honest business, 
it rushes into Mischief or sinks into Melancholy. ^^ — 

Btl7^t07l. 

374. A lady sometimes looks upon pregnancy more 
as a disease than as a natural j)rocess ; hence she 
treats herself as though she were a regular invalid^ 



PREGI^q-AKCY. — DEAIKAGE. 159 

and^ unfortunately^ she too often makes herself really 
one by improper and by foolish indulgences. 

VENTILATION— DEAINAGE. 

375. Let a lady look well to the ventilation of her 
house ; let her take care that every chimney be un- 
stopped^ and during the day-time that every window 
in every unoccupied room be thrown open. Where 
there is a skylight at the top of the house^ it is w^ell 
to have it made to open and to shut, so that in the 
day-time it may, winter and summer, be always open ; 
and in the summer-time it may, day and night, be 
left unclosed. Nothing so thoroughly ventilates and 
purifies a house as an open skylight. 

376. If a lady did but know the importance — the 
vital importance — of ventilation, she would see that 
the above directions w^ere carried out to the very 
letter. My firm belief is, that if more attention were 
paid to ventilation — to thorough ventilation — child- 
bed fever would be an almost unknown disease. The 
cooping- up system is bad ; it engenders all manner 
of infectious and loathsome diseases, and not only 
engenders them, but feeds them, and thus keeps 
them alive. There is nothing wonderful in all this, 
if we consider, but for one moment, that the exhala- 
tions from the lungs are poisonous ; that is to say, 
that the lungs give off carbonic acid gas (a deadly 
poison), which, if it be not allowed to escape out of 
the room, must over and over again be breathed. 
That, if the perspiration of the body (which in 
twenty-four hours amounts to two or three pounds !) 
be not permitted to escape out of the apartment it 
must become foetid — repugnant to the nose, sicken- 
ing to the stomach, and injurious to the health. Oh, 



IGO ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

how often the nose is a sentinel^ and warns its owner 
of approaching danger. 

377. Verily the nose is a sentinel I The Al- 
mighty has sent bad smells for our benefit to warn 
us of danger. If it were not for an unpleasant smell 
we should be constantly running into destruction ! 
How often we hear of an ignorant person using dis- 
infectants and fumigations to deprive drains and 
other horrid places of their odors; as though, if the 
place could be robbed of its smell, it could be robbed 
of its danger. Strange infatuation ! No ; the fre- 
quent flushings of drains, the removal of nuisances, 
cleanliness, a good scrubbing of soap and water, sun- 
shine, and the air and winds of heaven, are the best 
disinfectants in the world. A celebrated and eccen- 
tric lecturer in surgery — Abernethy — in addressing 
his class, made the following quaint and sensible 
remark : — ^^Fumigations, gentlemen, are of essential 
importance : they make so abominable a stink, that 
they compel you to open the windows and admit 
fresh air." Truly the nose of a man is a sentinel — 

*' And the foetid vapors of the fen 

warn him to fly from danger." — Tupper. 

378. It is doubtless, then, admirably appointed 
that we are able to detect ^^the well-defined and 
several stinks ; " * for the danger is not in them — to 
destroy the smell is not to destroy the danger. Cer- 
tainly not ! The right way to do away with the 



* Coleridge gives a very amusing description of the 
number of " stenches, all well defined, and several stinks," 
of Cologne. He says — 

" I counted two-and-seventy stenches, 
All well defined, and several stinks." 



II 



PREGXAXCY. — YE^'TILATIOX — DKAIXAGE. IGl 

danger is to remove the caiise^ and the effect will 
cease ; flushing a sewer is far more efficacious than 
disinfecting one ; soap and water^ and the scrub- 
bing-brush^ and sunshine^ and thorough ventilation^ 
each and all are more beneficial than Condy^s fluid or 
cai'bolic acid. People^ nowadays, think too much 
Oi disinfectants and too little of removal of causes ; 
they think too much of artificial, and too little of 
natural means. It is a sad mistake to lean so much 
on, and to trust so much to man^s inventions I 

379. Not only is the nose a sentinel, but pain is a 
sentinel. "^^The sense of pain is necessary to our 
very existence ; we should, if it were not for pain, be 
constantly falling into many and great and grievous 
dangers ; we should, if it were not for pain, be run- 
ning into the fire, and be burned ; we should, if it 
were not for pain, swallow hot fluids, and be scalded; 
we should, if it were not for pain, be constantly 
letting things '^go the wrong way, ^^ and be suffo- 
cated ; we should, if it were not for pain, allow foreign 
substances to enter the eye, and be blinded ; we 
should, if it were not for pain, be lulled to a false 
security, and allow disease to go on unchecked and 
untended, until we had permitted the time to pass 
by when remedies were of little or no avail. Pain is 
a sentinel, and guards us from danger ; pain is like a 
true friend, who sometimes gives a little pain to save 
a greater pain ; pain sometimes resembles the sur- 
geon^s knife — it gives pain to cure pain. Sense of 
pain is a blessed provision of Xature, and is designed 
for the protection, preservation and prolongation of 
life! 

380. What is wanted nowadays is a little less 
theory and a great deal more common -sense. A rat, 

II 



1G2 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

for instance, is, in theory, grossly maligned ; he is 
considered to be very destructive, an enemy to man, 
and one that ought to be destroyed — every man^s 
hand being against him. Now, a rat is, by common- 
sense, well known to be, in its proper place — that is 
to say, in sewers and in drains — destructive only to 
man^s enemies — to the organic matter which breeds 
fevers, cholera, diphtheria, etc. The rat eats the 
pabulum or food which would otherwise convert 
towns into hotbeds of terrible diseases. That which 
is a rat^s food is often a man^s poison ; hence a rat is 
one of the best friends that a man has, and ought, in 
his proper place, to be in every way protected. The 
rat in drains is the very best of scavengers ; in a 
sewer he is invaluable, in a house he is most injurious. 
A rat in a sewer is worth gallons of disinfectants, 
and will, in purifying a sewer, beat all man^s inven- 
tions hollow. The maligned rat, therefore, turns 
out, if weighed by common-sense, to be not only one 
of the most useful of animals, but of public bene- 
factors. The rat's element, then, is the sewer ; he is 
the king of the sewer, and should there reign su- 
preme, and ought not to be poisoned by horrid dis- 
infectants. 

381. If a lady, while on an errand of mercy, should, 
in the morning, go into a poor person^s bedroom 
after he, she, or they (for oftentimes the room is 
crowded to su£focation) have during the night been 
sleeping, and where a breath of air is not allowed to 
enter — the chimney and every crevice having been 
stopped up — and where too much attention has not 
been paid to personal cleanliness, she will experience 
a faintness, an oppression, a sickness, a headache, a 
terrible foetid smell ; indeed she is in a poisoned cham- 



II 



PREGXAKCY. — YEXTILATIOX — DRAIXAGE. 1G3 

ber ! It is an odor sni generis, which must be 
smelledto be remembered^ and will then never be for- 
gotten. ^*'The rankest compound of villainous smell 
that ever offended nostril I '' Pity the poor who live 
in such styes — not lit for pigs I For pigs^ styes are 
ventilated. But take warning, ye well-to-do in the 
world, and look well to the ventilation, or beware of 
the consequences. '^If,'^ says an able writer on 
fever in the last century, ^''any person will take the 
trouble to stand in the sun, and look at his own 
shadow on a white plastered wall, he will easily per- 
ceive that his whole body is a smoking dunghill^ 
with a vapor exhaling from every part of it. This 
vapor is subtle, acrid, and offensive to the smell ; if 
retained in the body it becomes morbid, but if re- 
absorbed, highly deleterious. If a number of persons, 
therefore, are long confined in any close place not 
properly ventilated, so as to inspire and swallow with 
their spittle the vapors of each other, they must soon 
feel its bad effects.^^ — Popular Science Review. 

382. Contagious diseases are bred and fed in badly- 
ventilated houses. Ill-ventilated houses are hotbeds 
of disease. Contagion is subtle, quick, invisible, 
and inscrutable — tremendous in its effects ; it darts 
its poison like a rattlesnake, and instantly the body 
is affected, and the strong giant suddenly becomes as 
helpless as the feeble infant — 

'' Even so quickly may one catch the plague." 

Shakspeare, 

383. Xot only should a lady look well to the ven- 
tilation of her house, bnt either she or her husband 
ought to ascertain that the drains are in good and 
perfect order, and that no sewer or water-closet pipe 



164 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

commnnicates^ in any way whatever, with the drink- 
ing water supply. If it, unfortunately, should do so, 
the supply is poisoned, breeding pestilence, and fill- 
ing our churchyards. Bad drains are fruitful sources 
of child-bed fever, gastric fever, scarlatina, diphtheria, 
cholera, and a host of other infections, and conta- 
gious, and dangerous diseases. It is an abominable 
practice to allow dirt to fester near human habita- 
tions, more especially as dirt when mixed with earth 
is really so valuable in fertilizing the soil. Lord 
Palmerston wisely said — '^dirt is only matter in the 
wrong place. ^^ 

384. Sewer poison is so instantaneous in its effects, 
so subtle in its operations, so deadly in its conse- 
quences, so untiring in its labors — working both day 
and night — that it may well be said to be ^^the pesti- 
lence that walkcth in darkness," and '' the sickness 
that destroy eth in the noonday." 

385. A lady ought to look well to the purity of her 
driiihing tenter, and to ascertain that no drain enters, 
or percolates, or contaminates in any way whatever 
the water sup2%. If it should do so, disease, such 
as cholera, or diarrhoea, or dysentery, or diphtheria, 
or scarlet fever, or gastric fever, will, one or the 
other, as a matter of course, ensue. If there be the 
slightest danger or risk of drain contamination, let 
the drain be taken up and be examined at once, and 
let the defect be carefully remedied. It is well to 
know that water which has been boiled and kept at 
boiling point for ten minutes has become sterilized 
and is absolutely safe to drink. It is made more 
palatable if, after being boiled, it is passed through 
a filter so that it becomes aerated. 



PRECtXAXCY. — DIETARY. 165 

NECESSITY^ OF OCCASIONAL REST. 

386. A lady who is pregnant ought to lie one or 
two hours every clay on the sofa for half an hour at a 
time. This, if there be a bearing-down of the womb, 
or if there be a predisposition to a miscarriage, will 
be particularly necessary. I should recommend this 
plan to be adopted throughout the whole period of 
the pregnancy ; in the early months to prevent a mis- 
carriage ; and, in the latter months, on account of 
the increased weight and size of the womb. 

387. The modern sofas are most uncomfortable to 
lie upon ; they are not made for comfort, but, like 
many other things in this world, for show : one of 
the good-old fashioned roomy sofas, then, should be 
selected for the purpose, in order that the back may 
be properly and thoroughly rested. 

388. There is, occasionally, during the latter 
months, a diflSculty in lying down — the patient feel- 
ing as though, every time she makes the attempt, she 
should be suffocated. When such is the case, she 
ought to rest herself upon the sofa, and be propped 
up with cushions, as rest at different periods of the 
day is necessary and beneficial. If there be any dif- 
ficulty in lying down at night, a bed-rest, well cov- 
ered with pillows, will be found a great comfort. 

DIETARY. 

389. An abstemious diet, during the early period 
of pregnancy, is essential, as the habit of bod}', at 
that time, is usually feverish and inflammatory. I 
should therefore recommend abstinence from beer, 
porter, and spirits. Let me in this place ur^'e a lady, 
during her pregnancy, not to touch stimulants, such 



166 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

as brandy or gin; they will only inflame -the blood, 
and will poison and make puny the unborn babe ; 
they will only give false spirits^ and will depress her 
in an increased ratio as soon as their effects have 
passed away. She ought to eat meat in moderation. 
Eich soups and highly-seasoned stews and dishes are 
injurious. 

390. A lady who is enceinte may depend upon it 
that the less stimulants she takes at these times 
the better it will be both for herself and for her in- 
fant ; the more kind will be her labor and her ^^ get- 
ting about ; ^' and the more vigorous and healthy will 
be her child. 

391. It is a mistaken notion that she requires more 
nourishment during early pregnancy than at any 
other time. It has often been asserted that a lady 
who is pregnant ought to eat very heartily, as she 
has to provide for two lives. When it is taken into 
account that during pregnancy she ^^ ceases to be un- 
well/' and therefore that there is no drain on that 
score ; and when it is also considered how small the 
ovum containing the embryo is, not being larger than 
a hen^s egg, for the first two months or so, it will be 
seen how erroneous is the assertion. A wife, there- 
fore, in early pregnancy, does not require more than 
at another time. Again, during pregnancy, espe- 
cially in the early stage, she is more or less sick, 
feverish, and irritable, and a superabundance of food 
would only add fuel to the fire, and would increase 
her sickness, fever and irritability. Moreover, she 
frequently suffers from heartburn and from indiges- 
tion. Can anything be more absurd, when such is 
the case,^ than to overload a stomach already loaded 
with food which it is not able to digest ? No, let 



PREGXAXCY. — DIETARY. 167 

Nature iu this, as in everything else, be her guide, 
and she will not then go far wrong I When she is 
further advanced in her pregnancy, — that is to say, 
when she has quickened, — her appetite generally im- 
proves, and she is much better in health than she was 
before ; indeed, after she has quickened, she is fre- 
quently in better health than she ever had been. The 
appetite is now increased. Xature points out that 
she requires more nourishment than she did at first ; 
for this reason, the child is now rapidly growing in 
size, and consequently requires more sujDport from 
the mother. Let the food, therefore, of a preguant 
woman be now increased in quantity, but let it be 
both light and nourishing. Occasionally, at this 
time, she has taken a dislike to butcher's meat ; if 
she has, she ought not to be forced to eat it, but 
should have, instead, poultry, game, fish, chicken- 
broth, beef -tea, new milk, farinaceous food — such as 
rice, sago, batter-puddings — and, if she have a crav- 
ing for it, good sound ripe fruit. 

392. Eoasted apples, ripe pears, raspberries, straw- 
berries, grapes, tamarinds, figs. Muscatel raisins, 
stewed rhubarb, stewed or baked pears, stewed prunes, 
the insides of ripe gooseberries, and the juice of 
oranges, are, during pregnancy, particularly bene- 
ficial ; they both quench the thirst and tend to open 
the bowels. 

393. The food of a joregnant woman cannot be too 
plain ; highly-seasoned dishes ought, therefore, to be 
avoided. Although the food be plain, it must be fre- 
quently varied. She should ring the changes upon 
butcher's meat, poultry, game, and fish. It is a mis- 
taken notion that people ought to eat the same food 
over and over again, one day as another. The stom- 



168 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

ach requires variety^ or disease^ as a matter of course^ 
will ensue. 

394. Light puddings, such as rice, or batter, or 
suet pudding, or fruit jjuddings — provided the paste 
be plain — may be taken with advantage. Rich pastry 
is highly objectionable. 

395. If she be plethoric, abstinence is still more 
necessary, or she may have a tedious labor, or may 
suifer severely. Tlie old-fashioned treatment was to 
bleed a i^regnant patient if she were of a full habit of 
body. A more absurd plan could not have been 
adopted if used as a routine treatment ! In Italy, 
it was, and still is to some extent, a practice to bleed 
pregnant women. Of course this is an abuse, but 
certainly there are cases of excessive pletliora where 
the balance between the proportion that is required for 
the development of the child and the health of the 
mother is lost by excess, taxing the liver, skin, and 
kidneys too much. Then relief may be found in 
bleeding. Bleeding, by causing more blood to be 
made, would only increase the mischief ; but cer- 
tainly it would be blood of an inferior quality, watery 
and poor. It might, in such a case, be truly said 

that — 

*' The wine of life is drawn." 

The best way to diminish the quantity of blood is to 
moderate the amount of food — to lessen the supplies ; 
but not, on any account, to leave off the eating of 
meat for dinner ; if she do so, she will suffer both at 
and after her confinement. 

396. A lady who is not plethoric should, during 
the three or four latter months of her pregnancy, 
keep up her strength by good nourishing food ; but 
not by stimulants — the less stimulants she takes the 



PREGKAKCY*. — SLEEP. 169 

better, altliougli there can be no objection to her 
drinking daily one or two glasses of wine. 

39T. I have known some ladies, during the few last 
months of their pregnancies, abstain from meat alto- 
gether, believing thereby that they would insure 
easier confinements, and better '' gettings about.'' 
Now, this is altogether a mistake : they are much 
more likely, from the low diet, to have more tedious 
and harder labors, and worse ''gettings about.'' 
Xot only so, but if they are kept, during the last 
months of their pregnancies, on too low a diet, they 
are likely to make wretched nurses for their children, 
both in the quantity and in the quality of their milk. 
JsTo ; let a lady who is enciente adopt the best hygienic 
means, which I have, in these pages, endeavored to 
lay down, and she w^ill then be prepared both for her 
coming labor and for her subsequent suckling. 

398. A pregnant lady then should endeavor by 
every means in her power to make herself healthy ; 
this is the best way to prepare for labor and for 
suckling. I am not advocating luxury, ease, and 
enervation — nothing of the kind, for I abhor luxu- 
rious living ; but, on the contrary, I am recommend- 
ing simplicity of living, occupation, fresh air, and 
exercise, and plain, wholesome, nourishing diet ; all of 
which may be considered as Nature's medicine — 
and splendid physic, too, it is ! 

SLEEP. 

399. The bedroom of a pregnant lady ought, if 
practicable, to be large and airy. Particular atten- 
tion must be paid to the ventilation. The chimney 
should on no account be stopped. The door and 
the windows ought in the daytime to be thrown 



170 ADVICE Tt) A AVIFE. 

wide opeii;, and the bed-clothes should be thrown 
back^ that the air may, before the approach of night, 
well ventilate them. 

400. It is a mistaken practice for a pregnant 
woman, or for any one else, to sleep with closely 
drawn curtains. Pure air and a frequent change of 
air are quite as necessary — if not more so — during 
the night as during the day ; and how can it be pure, 
and how can it be changed, if curtains be closely 
drawn around the bed ? Impossible. The roof of 
the bedstead ought not to be covered with furniture ; 
it should be open to the ceiling, in order to prevent 
any obstruction to a free circulation of air. Luckily 
the old-fashioned bedstead is almost a thing of the 
past. 

401. The bed must not be loaded with clothes, 
more especially with a thicTc coverlet. If the weather 
be cold, let an extra blanket be put on the bed, as 
the perspiration can permeate through a blanket, 
when it cannot through a tliick coverlet. 

402. It is a marvel how some people, with close- 
drawn curtains, with four or five blankets, and with 
thick coverlet on bed, can sleep at all ; their skins 
and lungs are smothered up, and are not allowed to 
breathe : for the skin is as much a breathing appa- 
ratus as are the lungs themselves. Oh, it is a sad 
mistake, and fraught with serious consequences I 
The only use of bed curtains is to keep out, on the 
side of the bed where light and draughts intrude, 
the light and draughty currents. 

403. The bedroom, at night, should be dark ; 
hence the importance of shutters, of Venetian blinds, 
or dark blinds impervious to light, or thick curtains 
to the windows. The chamber, too, should be as 



PREGXAXCY. — SLEEP. 171 

far removed from noise as possible — as noise is an 
enemy to sleep. The room, then, should, as the 
poet beautifully expresses it, be " deaf to noise, ^^ 
^*and blind to light.'' 

404. A lady who is pregnant is sometimes restless 
at night — she feels oppressed and hot. The best 
remedies are — (1) Scant clothing on the bed. (2) 
The upper sash of the window, during the summer 
months, to be left open to the extent of two or three 
inches, and during the winter months to the extent 
of one or two inches, — provided the room be large, 
the bed be neither near nor under the window, and 
the weather be not intensely cold. If any or all of 
these latter circumstances are present, then (3) the 
window must be closed and the door be left ajar (the 
landing or the skylight window at the top of the 
house being left open all night, and the door being 
secured from intrusion by means of a door-chain). 
(4) Attention to be paid, if the bowels be costive — 
but not otherwise — to a gentle action of the bowels 
by medicine. (5) An abstemious diet, avoiding 
stimulants of all kinds. (6) Gentle walking exercise. 
(T) Sponging the body every morning — in the winter 
with tepid water, and in the summer with cold water. 
(8) Cooling fruits in the summer are in such a case 
very grateful and refreshing. 

405. A pregnant woman sometimes experiences an 
inability to lie down, the attempt occasionally pro- 
ducing a feeling of suffocation and of faintness. She 
ought, under such circumstances, to lie on a bed- 
rest, which must, by means of pillows, be made com- 
fortable. 

406. Pains at night, during the latter end of the 
time, are usually frequent, so as to make an inex- 



172 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

perienced lady fancy that her labor is commencing. 
Little need be done ; for, unless the pains be violent, 
there ought not to be any meddling with Nature. If 
they be violent, application should be made to a 
medical man. 

407. A pregnant lady must retire early to rest. 
She ought to be in bed every night by ten o'clock, 
and should make a point of being up in good time in 
the morning^ that she may have a thorough ablution, 
a stroll in the garden, and an early breakfast ; and 
that she may afterwards take a short walk either in 
the country or in the grounds while the air is pure 
and invigorating. But how often, more especially 
when a lady is first married, is an opposite plan 
adopted ! The importance of bringing a healthy 
child into the world, if not for her own and her hus- 
band's sake, should induce a wife to attend to the 
above remarks. 

408. Although some ladies, during pregnancy, are 
very restless, others are very sleepy, so that they can 
scarcely, even in the day, keep their eyes open ! 
Fresh air, exercise, and occupation, are the best 
remedies for keeping them awake, and the best rem- 
edies for many other complaints besides ! 

MEDICINE. 

409. A young wife is usually averse to consulting 
a medical man concerning several trifliyig ailments, 
which are,. nevertheless, in many cases, both annoy- 
ing and distressing. I have therefore deemed it well 
to give a brief account of such slight ailments, and 
•to prescribe a few safe and simi)le remedies for them. 
I say safe and simple, for active medicines require 
skilful handling, and therefore ought not — unless in 



ii 



PREGXAXCY. — MEDICIXE. 173 

certain emergencies — to be used excej)t by a doctor 
himself. I wish it, then, to be distinctly understood, 
that a medical man ought to be called in, in all 
serious attacks, and also in slight ailments, if not 
quickly relieved. 

410. A costive state of the bowels is common in 
l)regnancy ; a m ild aperient is therefore occasionally 
necessary. The mildest must be selected, as a strong- 
purgative is highly improper, and even dangerous. 
Calomel and all other preparations of mercury are to 
be especially avoided, as a mercurial medicine is apt 
to weaken the system, and sometimes even to pro- 
duce a miscarriage. 

•111. An abstemious diet, where the bowels are 
costive, is more than usually desirable, for if the 
bowels be torpid a quantity of food will only make 
them more sluggish. Overloaded bowels are very 
much in the same predicament as an overloaded 
machine — they are both hampered in their action, 
and unable to do their work properly, and consequently 
become clogged. Besides, when labor comes on, a 
loaded state of the bowels will add much to a lady's 
sufferings as well as to her annoyance. 

412. The following aperients may be used — castor 
oil, salad oil, compound rhubarb pills, honey, stewed 
prunes, stewed rhubarb, Muscatel raisins, figs, grapes, 
roasted apples, baked pears, stewed Xormandy pip- 
pins, coffee, brown bread and treacle, raw Demerara 
sugar (as a sweetener of the food), Scotch oatmeal 
with milk or with water, or with equal parts of milk 
and water. Saline aperients are also useful, such as 
Hunyadi, Rubinat, Condal. All these act best if 
taken in a tumbler half full of warm water the first 
thing in the morning. 



174 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

413. Castor oil in pregnancy is^, if an aperient be 
necessary ;, a valuable one. Frequent and small are 
preferable to occasional and large doses. If the 
bowels be constipated (but certainly not otherwise), 
castor oil ought to be taken regularly twice a week. 
The best time for administering it is early in the 
morning. The dose is from a teaspoonful to a des- 
sert-spoonful. But remember that it is folly in the 
extreme to take castor oil merely for the sake of tak- 
ing it — that is to say, unless the state of the bowels 
require it. 

414. The best ways of administering it are the 
following : — Let a wine-glass be well rinsed out with 
water, so that the sides may be well wetted ; then let 
the wine-glass be half filled with cold water. Let 
the necessary quantity of oil be now carefully poured 
into the center of the wine-glass, taking care that it 
does not touch the sides ; and if the patient will, thus 
prepared, drink it off at one draught, she will scarcely 
taste it. Another way of taking it is, swimming on 
warm new milk. A third, and a good method, is float- 
ing it on ivarm coffee : the coffee ought, in the usual 
way, to be previously sweetened and mixed with cream. 
There are two advantages in giving castor oil on 
coffee : (1) it is a pleasant way of giving it — the oil is 
scarcely tasted ; and (2) the coffee Itself, more espe- 
cially if it be sweetened with raiv sugar, acts as an ape- 
rient — less castor oil, in consequence, being required ; 
indeed, with many patients, the coffee, sweetened 
with raio sugar alone, is a sufficient aperient. A fourth 
and an agreeable way of administering it is on orange 
juice — swimming on the juice of one orange. Some 
ladies are in the habit of taking it on brandy and 



PREGXA:N^CY. — MEDICINE. 175 

water ; but the spirit is apt to dissolve a portion of 
the oil, which afterwards rises in the throat. 

415. If salad oil be chosen as an aperient — it being 
a gentle and safe one — the dose ought to be as much 
again as of castor oil ; and the patient^ during the 
day she takes it, should eat a fig or two, or a dozen 
or fifteen of stewed prunes, or of stewed French plums, 
as salad oil is much milder in its effects than castor 
oil. Salad oil is, if a patient be ill-nourished, prefer- 
able to castor oil, the former being not only an ape- 
rient but a nutrient ; salad oil is almost as fattening 
as, and far more agreeable than, cod-liver oil. 

416. There is an agreeable way of taking salad oil, 
namely, in a salad. If, therefore, it be summer-time, 
and a pregnant lady^s bowels be costive, she should 
partake plentifully of a salad, with plenty of salad oil 
in it. If the patient be thin, and of a cold habit of 
body, salad oil is particularly indicated, as salad oil 
is not only an aperient, but a fattener and a warmer 
of the system. Salads, on the Continent, are always 
made with oil ; indeed, salad oil enters largely into 
French cookery. 

417. Where a lady cannot take oil, one or two com- 
pound rhubarb pills may be taken at bedtime ; or a 
Seidlitz powder early in the morning, occasionally ; 
or a quarter of an ounce of tasteless salts — phosphate 
of soda — may be dissolved in lieu of table salt in a 
cupful of soup or of broth, or of beef tea, and be oc- 
casionally taken at luncheon. 

418. When the motions are hard, and when the 
bowels are easily acted upon, two, or three, or four 
pills made of Castile soap will frequently answer the 
purpose ; and if they Avill, are far better than any 
ordinary aperient. The following is a good form : — 



176 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

Take of — Castile Soap, five scruples ; 
Oil of Carravvay, six drops : 
To make twenty-four pills. Two, or three, or four to be 
taken at bedtime, occasionally. 

419. A teaspoonful of honey^ either eaten at break- 
fast^ or dissolved in a cup of tea, will frequently com- 
fortably and effectually open the bowels, and will 
supersede the necessity of taking aperient medicine. 

420. A basin of thick Derbyshire or of pure Scotch 
oatmeal gruel, or entire wheat flour, made either with 
new milk or cream and water, with a little salt, makes 
an excellent luncheon or evening meal for a pregnant 
lady ; any of the above are delicious, wliolesome, 
nourishing, and aperient, and will often entirely super- 
sede the necessity of giving opening medicine. If 
she prefer sugar to salt, let raw sugar be substituted 
for the salt. The occasional substitution of coffee 
for 'tea at breakfast usually acts beneficially on the 
bowels. 

421. Let me again urge the importance of a lady, 
during the whole period of pregnancy, being par- 
ticular as to the state of her bowels, as costiveness is 
a fruitful cause of painful, tedious, and hard labors. 
It is my firm conviction that if a patient who suffers 
from constipation, were to attend more to the regu- 
larity of her bowels, tedious cases of labor would 
rarely occur, more especially if the simple rules of 
health were adopted, such as : attention to diet — the 
patient partaking of a variety of food, and allowing the 
farinaceous, such as oatmeal, and the vegetable and 
fruit element, to preponderate ; the drinking early 
every morning of a glass of hot water ; the taking of 
exercise in the open air ; attending to her houesehold 
duties ; avoiding excitement, late hours, and all 



PREGJy'AXCY. — MEDICIXE. 1?7 

fashionable amusements ; and visiting the water- 
closet at one particular hour every daj' — directly 
after breakfast being the best time for doing so. 

422. Many a pregnant lady does not leave the 
house — she is a fixture. Can it^ then, be wondered 
at that costiveness so frequently prevails ? Exercise 
in the fresh air, and occupation, and household duties, 
are the best opening medicines in the world. An 
aperient, let it be ever so judiciously chosen, is apt, 
after the effect is over, to bind up. the bowels, and 
thus increase the evil. Xow, Xature^s medicines — 
exercise in the open air, occupation, and household 
duties — on the contrary, not only at the time open 
the bowels, but keep up a proper action for the 
future : hence their inestimable superiority. 

423. An excellent remedy for the costiveness of 
pregnancy is an enema, either of warm water or of 
Castile soap and water, which the patient, by means 
of a self-injecting enema-apparatus; may administer to 
herself. The quantity of warm water to be used is 
from half a pint to a pint ; the proper heat is the 
temperature of new milk ; the time for administer- 
ing it is early in the morning, twice or three times a 
week. The advantages of enemata are, they never 
disorder the stomach — they do not interfere with the 
digestion — they do not irritate the bowels — they are 
given with the greatest facility by the patient her- 
self — and they do not cause the slightest pain. If 
an enema be used to open the bowels, it may be well 
to occasionally give one of the aperients recom- 
mended above (especially an Electuary of Figs, Eaisins, 
and Senna), in order, if there be costiveness. to en- 
sure a thorough clearance of the whole of the bowels. 

424. If the bowels should be opened once every 

12 



178 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

day, it would be the height of folly for a pregnant 
lady to take either castor oil or any other aperient. 
She ought then to leave her bowels undisturbed, as 
the less medicine she takes the better. If the bowels 
be daily and properly opened, aperients of any sort 
whatever would be highly injurious to her. The 
plan in this, as in all other cases, is to leave well 
alone^ and never to give physic for the sake of giv- 
ing it. 

425. Muscular Paiiis of the Abdomen, — The best 
remedy is an abdominal belt constructed for preg- 
nancy, and adjusted with proper straps and buckles 
to accommodate the gradually increasing size of the 
womb. This plan often affords great comfort and 
relief ; indeed, such a belt is indispensably necessary. 

426. Diarrhma. — Although the bowels in preg- 
nancy are generally costive, they are sometimes in an 
opposite state, and are relaxed. Now, this relaxation 
is frequently owing to there having been prolonged 
constipation, and Nature is trying to relieve herself 
by purging. Such being the case, a patient ought 
to be careful how she interferes with the relaxation. 
The fact is that, in all probability, there i3 something 
in the bowels which wants to come away, and Na- 
ture is trying all she can to effect the relief. Some- 
times, provided there is no unnecessary interference, 
she succeeds ; at others, it is advisable to give a mild 
aperient to assist her in her efforts. For this pur- 
pose castor oil is the best. 

427. When such is the case, a gentle aperient, as 
castor oil, or tincture of rhubarb, or rhubarb and 
magnesia, ought to be chosen. If castor oil, a tea- 
spoonful or a dessert-spoonful, swimming on a little 
new milk, will generally answer the purpose. If 



pregka:n'Cy. — medicixe. 179 

tincture of rhubarb, a table-spoonful in two of water. 
If rhubarb and magnesia be the medicine selected, 
then a few doses of the following mixture will usu- 
ally set all to rights : — 

Take of — Powdered Turkey Rhubarb, half a drachm ; 

Carbonate of Magnesia, one drachm ; 

Essence of Ginger, one drachm ; 

Compound Tincture of Cardamons, half an ounce; 

Peppermint Water, five ounces and a half ; 
Two table-spoonfuls of the mixture to be taken three times 
a day, first shaking the bottle. 

428. The diet should be simple^ plain^ and nour- 
ishing, and should consist of beef tea, chicken broth, 
arrow-root, and of well-made and wpll-boiled oat- 
meal gruel. Butcher^s meat, for a few days, should 
not be eaten ; and stimulants of all kinds must be 
avoided. 

429. If the diarrhoea be attended with pain in the 
bowels, a flannel bag filled with hot table-salt, and 
then applied to the part affected, will afford great 
relief. A hot- water bag, too, in a case of this kind, 
is a great comfort. * The patient ought, as soon as 
the diarrho^ has disappeared, gradually to return to 
her usual diet, provided it be plain, wholesome, and 
nourishing. She should pay particular attention to 



* The hot-water bag, or bottle as it is sometimes called, 
is composed of vulcanized indiarubber, and is made pur- 
posely to hold very hot water. The bag ought not to be 
more than half filled with water, as it will then better 
adapt itself to the shape of the abdomen. The water must 
be hot, but not boiling hot ; if it should be very hot. the 
bag ought to be wrapped in flannel. It is a most delight- 
ful stomach warmer and comforter, and should, where 
there is a family, be in every house. One great advantage 
of it is, that in a few minutes it is ready for use. 



180 ADVICE TO A ^VIFE. 

keeping her feet warm and dry ; and^ if she be much 
subject to diarrhoea, she ought to wear round her 
bowels, and next to her skin, a broad flannel bandage 
or belt. A sudden chill of the abdomen is a frequent 
cause of diarrhoea. 

430. " Fidgets.'' — A pregnant lady sometimes suf- 
fers severely from ^^ fidgets '' ; it generally affects her 
feet and legs, especially at night, so as entirely to 
destroy her sleep ; she cannot lie still ; she every few 
minutes moves, tosses, and tumbles about — first on 
one side, then on the other. Although ^^ fidgets ^^ 
is not at all dangerous, and might seem a trifling 
complaint, yet, if it be trifling, it is very annoying 
and destructive both to peace and comfort, making 
the sufferer arise from her bed in the morning unre- 
freshed for the remainder of tlie day, indeed, more 
tired than when the night before she sought her 
pillow. 

431. The causes of ^^ fidgets ^^ area heated state 
of the blood ; an irritable condition of tlie nervous 
system, prevailing at that particular time ; and want 
of occupation. 

432. The treatment of *^^ fidgets ^^ consists of : — 
sleeping in a well-ventilated apartment, with either 
window or door open — if the latter, the door secured 
from intrusion by means of a door-chain ; sleeping 
on a horsehair mattress, taking care that the bed be 
not overloaded with clothes ; a thorough ablution of 
the whole body every morning, and a good washing 
with tepid water of the face, neck, chest, arms, and 
hands every night ; shunning hot and close rooms ; 
taking plenty of out-door exercise ; living on a bland, 
nourishing, but not rich diet ; avoiding ?/?^r^/ at night, 
and substituting, in lieu thereof, either a cupful of 



PREGNANCY. — MEDICINE. 181 

arrov/-root made with milk, or of well-boilecl oatmeal 
gruel ; eschewing stimulants of all kinds ; drinking, 
for breakfast and tea, black tea instead of coffee ; and 
taking a dose of the following drops, as prescribed 
below, in water : — 

Take of — Compound Spirits of Lavender, one drachm ; 
Aromatic Spmtsof Ammonia, eleven drachms : 
A teaspoonful of the drops to be taken ev^ery night at bed- 
time, and repeated in the middle of the night, if neces- 
sary, in a wine-glassful of water. 

433. If a lady, during the night, have "^^the 
fidgets,^^ she should get out of bed ; take a short 
walk up and down the room, being w^ell protected by 
a dressing-gown ; empty her bladder ; turn her pillow^ 
so as to have the cold side next to her head ; and then 
lie down again ; and the chances are that she wall 
now fall asleep. 

434. If during the day she have ^^the fidgets,^^ a 
ride in an open carriage ; or a stroll in the garden, or 
in the fields ; or a little housewifery, will do her 
good, as there is nothing like fresh air, exercise, and 
occupation to drive aw^ay ^^the fidgets.'^ It is gener- 
ally those '^ who have nothing to do^' who have '^'^ the 
fidgets ; '^ the poor woman who has to work for her 
daily bread does not knoAV what '' the fidgets '' mean ! 
Here again we see the value of occupation — of having 
plenty to do ! But idleness is discreditable, and 
deserves punishment, and it always will be punished ! 

435. Hearthurn is a common and often a distress- 
ing symptom of pregnancy. The acid producing the 
heartburn is frequently much increased by an over- 
loaded stomach. The patient labors under the mis- 
taken notion that, as she has two lives to sustain, she 
requires more food during this than at any other 



182 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

time ; she consequently is induced to take more than 
her appetite demands^ and more than her stomach 
can digest; hence heartburn^ indigestion, etc., are 
caused, and her unborn babe, as well as herself, are 
thereby weakened. 

436. An abstemious diet ought to be strictly ob- 
served. Great attention should be paid to the qtiaUty 
of the food. Greens, pastry, hot buttered toast, 
melted butter, and everything that is rich and gross, 
ought to be carefully avoided. 

437. Either a teaspoonful of lieavy calcined mag- 
nesia, or half a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda — 
the former to be preferred if there be constipation — 
should occasionally be taken in a wine-glassful of 
warm water. If these do not relieve — the above direc- 
tions as to diet having been strictly attended to — 
the following mixture ought to be tried : — 

Take of — Carbonate of Ammonia, lialf a drachm ; 

Bicarbonate of Soda, a drachm and a half ; 

Water, eight ounces : 
To make a mixture. — Two table-spoonfuls to be taken 
twice or three times a day, until relief be obtained. 

Chalk is sometimes given in heartburn, but as it 
produces costiveness, it ought not in such a case to 
be used. 

438. If costiveness accompany the heartburn, the 
heavy calcmed magnesia ought, as above recom- 
mended, to be taken in lieu of either carbonate of 

' soda or of the above mixture : the dose being a tea- 
spoonful mixed in a wine-glassful of water. The 
heavy calcined magnesia is preferable to the light 
carbonate of magnesia — it mixes smoother and better 
in the water, and is therefore more j)leasant to take : 



PREGNANCY. — MEDICINE. 183 

moreovei% it is stronger — twice as strong as the light 
carbonate of magnesia : it not only relieves the heart- 
burn^ but acts gently and pleasantly on the bowels. 

439. ]Vater-irash. — A patient, in early pregnancy, 
oftentimes suffers from water-brash ; indeed, it some- 
times accompanies heartburn and morning-sickness, 
and when it does, is very harassing and distressing. 
Water-brash consists of a constant eructation of a 
thin watery-fluid into the mouth — sometimes in very 
large quantities. The fluid is generally as thin and 
clear as water ; occasionally it is acid ; at other times 
it is perfectless tasteless. Now, this water-brash fre- 
quently ceases after the patient has quickened ; at 
other times, it continues during the whole period of 
pregnancy, more especially if the patient be dyspep- 
tic. The best remedy for water-brash is Bragg^s 
Charcoal Biscuit — one should be eaten at any time 
the patient is suffering from flow of water. If the 
fluid of the water-brash be acid, then the mixture I 
have recommended for Hearthurn will be found very 
serviceable : a dose of the mixture should be taken 
three times a day, and a charcoal biscuit should be 
taken between times. 

440. Wind in the stomach and towels is a frequent 
reason why a pregnant lady cannot sleep at night. 
The two most frequent causes of flatulence are (1) 
the want of walking exercise during the day, and (2) the 
eating a hearty meal just before going to bed at night. 
The remedies are, of course, in each instance, self- 
evident. It is folly in either case to give physic, 
when avoidance of the cause is the only right and 
proper remedy. How much physic might be dis- 
pensed with if people would only take Nature and 
common-sense for their guides ; but no, they will 



184 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

rather take a pill — it is less trouble I — thau walk a 
mile ; they will prefer a hearty evening meal to sweet 
and refreshing sleep ! What extraordinary tastes 
some persons have ! Luxury and self-indulgence are, 
alas ! the crying evils of the day. 

441. Piles are a common attendant upon preg- 
nancy. They are small, soft, spongy, dark-red 
tumors — enlarged veins, about the size of a bean or 
of a cherry, or sometimes as large as a walnut — 
and are either within or around the fundament ; 
they are then, according to their situation, called either 
internal or external )}\\q^ — they may be either blind ov 
Needing. If the latter, blood may be seen to exude 
from them, and blood will come away every time 
the patient has a stool ; hence the patient ought to 
be as quick as possible over relieving her bowels, 
and should not at such times sit one moment longer 
than is absolutely necessary. 

443. When the piles are very large, they some- 
times — more especially during a motion — drag down 
a portion of the bowel, which adds much to the 
suffering. If the bowel should protrude, it ought, 
by means of the patient's index finger, to be imme- 
diately and carefully returned, taking care, in order 
that it may not scratch the bowel, that the nail be 
cut close. 

443. Piles are very painful and exceedingly sore, 
and cause great annoyance, and frequently continue, 
notwithstanding proper and judicious treatment, 
during the whole period of pregnancy. 

444. A patient is predisposed to piles from the 
womb pressing upon the blood-vessels of the funda- 
ment. They are excited into action by her neglect- 
ing to keep her bowels gently opened, or by diarrhoea, 



PREG:N"ANCY. — MEDICI^s^E. 185 

or from her taking too strong purgatives^ especially 
pills containing aloes, or colocyntli, or both. 

445. If the piles be inflamed and painful, they 
ought, by means of a sponge, to be well fomented 
three times a day, and for half an hour each time with 
hot camomile and poppy-head ; * and, at bedtime, 
a hot white-bread poultice should be applied. 

446. Every time, after and before, the patient has 
a motion, she had better well anoint the piles and the 
fundament with the following ointment : — 

Take of — Carilphor (powdered by means of a few drops 
of Spirits of Wine) , one drachm ; 
Prepared Lard, two ounces : 
Mix, to make an ointment. 

447. If there be great irritation and intense pain, 
let some very hot water be put into a close stool, and 
let the patient sit over it. ^'^In piles attended with 
great irritation and pain, much relief is often obtained 
by sitting over the steam of hot water for fifteen qy 
twenty minutes, and immediately applying a warm 
bread-and-milk poultice. The measures should be 
repeated five or six times a day (Greves).^^ — Waring' s 
Tlierapeidics, 

448. If the heat be not great, and the pain be not 
intense, the following ointment will be found effica- 
cious : — 

Take of — Powdered Opium, one scruple ; 

Camphor (powdered by means of a few drops 
of Spirits of Wine), half a drachm ; 



* Take four poppy-heads and four ounces of camomile 
blows, and boil them in four pints of water for half an hour, 
to make the fomentation, w^hich should then be strained, 
and made quite hot in a saucepan when required. 



186 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

Powdered Galls, one drachm ; 
Spermaceti Ointment, three drachms : 
Mix. — The ointment to be applied to the piles three times 

a day. 
Or the Compound Gall Ointment of the British Phar- 
macopoeia may be applied in the same manner. 

449. If the heat and the pain be great, the follow- 
ing liniment will be found useful : — 

Take of — Brandy, ) ^ , , , 

Glycerine, ) ^^ ^^^^ ^'^^^ ^^ ^"^^^ • 
Mix. — The liniment to be frequently applied, by means 
of a camel's hair pencil, to the piles, first shaking the 
bottle. 

450. The bowels ought to be kept gently and regu- 
larly opened, either by taking every morning one or 
two tearspoonfuls of compound confection of senna, 
or by a dose of the following electuary : — 

Take of — Sublimed Sulphur, half an ounce ; 

Powdered Ginger, half a drachm ; 

Cream of Tartar, half an ounce ; 

Confection of Senna, one ounce ; 

Simple Syrup, a sufficient quantity : 
One or two teaspoonf uls to be taken early every morn- 
ing. 

451. An electuary, composed of chopped figs, 
raisins, and senna, in a case of piles, is another ad- 
mirable remedy for opening the bowels ; it softens 
the motions, and is gentle in its operation, and is, 
moreover, agreeable to take. A piece, the size of a 
nutmeg, or more, may be eaten early every, or every 
other, morning. 

452. Magnesia and milk of sulphur is an excellent 
remedy for piles. 



PREGNANCY.— MEDICINE. 187 

Take of— Carbonate of Magnesia, ) ^ , ^ , ^ , 

uTii roil r of each three drachms : 

Milk of Sulphur, ) 

Mix — To make nine powders. One to be taken early 

every, or every other, morning, mixed in half a cupful 

of milk. 

453. Remember, in these cases, it is necessary to 
keep the motions in a softened state, as Jiai^d lumps 
of stool would give intense j)ain in passing. 

454. If the confection of senna and the electuary 
of figs, raisins, and senna, and the other remedies, 
do not act sufficiently, it may be well to give, once 
or twice a week, a teaspoonful or a dessert-spoonful 
of castor oil. 

455. In piles, if they be not much inflamed, and 
provided there be constipation, a pint of tepid water, 
administered early every morning as an enema, will 
be found serviceable. Care and gentleness ought to 
be observed in introducing the enema-pipe, in order 
not to press unduly on the surrounding piles ; and 
the pipe itself should be warmed, and greased with 
vaseline or cold cream before being introduced. 

456. The patient ought to lie down frequently in 
the day. Sometimes she is unable to sit on an or- 
dinary seat ; she will then derive great comfort from 
sitting either on an air-cushion or on a water-cushion 
about half filled with water, placed on the chair. 

457. In piles, the patient ought to live on a plain, 
nourishing, simple diet, and should avoid all stimu- 
lants ; any food or beverage that will infiame the 
blood will likewise inflame the piles. 

458. Piles in pregnancy are frequently trouble- 
some, and sometimes resist all treatment until the 
patient be conflned, when they generally get well of 
themselves ; but still the remedies recommended 



188 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

above, even if they do not effect a cure, will usually 
afford great relief. 

459. Swollen legs from enlarged veins {varicose 
veins). — The veins are frequently much enlarged and 
distended, causing the legs to be greatly swollen and 
very painful, preventing the patient from taking 
proper walking exercise. Swollen legs are owing to 
the pressure of the womb upon the blood-vessels 
above. Women who have had large families are 
more liable than others to varicose veins. If a lady 
marry late in life, or if she be very heavy in her 
pregnancy — carrying the child low down — she is 
more likely to have distention of the veins. 

460. The best plan w^ill be for her to wear during 
tlie day an elastic stocking, which ought to be made 
on purpose for her, in order that it may properly fit 
the leg and foot. It will draw on like a common 
stocking. She ought to wear a silk stocking next 
the skin, and the elastic stocking over it, as the silk 
stocking can then, from time to time, be washed. 
The silk stocking, besides being clean, will be more 
comfortable next the skin than the elastic stocking. 
A bandage, gently wound round the leg, should be 
w^orn at night. It will be found a very grateful 
support. 

461. If the varicose veins should be very painful, 
she had better apply to a medical man, as it may be 
necessary, in such a case, to have them enveloped in 
bandages. 

462. If the feet and legs be cold as well as swollen, 
a doynette bandage, two inches and a half wide and 
eight yards long, nicely applied to each leg, from the 
toes to the knee, will be found a great comfort. One 
great advantage that domette has over calico is, that 



PREGXAXCY. — MEDICIXE. 189 

it will keep in its place for days^ while calico Avill be 
loose in an hour or two. 

463. Stretcliiiig of the shin of the abdomen is fre- 
quently, in a first pregnancy, distressing, from the 
soreness it causes. The best remedy is to rub the 
abdomen, every night and morning, w^th warm cam- 
phorated oil, and to wear a belt during the day and 
a broad flannel bandage at night, both of which 
should be put on moderately but comfortably tight. 
The belt must be secured in its situation by means of 
properly adjusted straps. 

464. If the skin of the ahclonien, from the violent 
stretching, be cracTced, the patient had better dress 
the part affected, every night and morning, with 
equal parts of simple cerate and of lard — lard without 
salt— well mixed together, spread on lint ; which 
ought to be kept in its place by means of a broad 
bandage, similar to the one used in confinements, 
and which is described in a subsequent paragraph 
(Bandage after Confinements). 

465. Pendulous Ahdomen, — A lady sometimes, from 
being at these times unusually large, suffers severely ; 
so much so, that she cannot, without experiencing 
great inconvenience, move about. This, where a 
patient is stout, and where she has a large family of 
children, is more likely to occur, and especially if she 
has neglected proper bandaging after her previous 
confinements. 

466. She ought in such a case to procure, from a 
surgical instrument maker, an elastic belt, made pur- 
posely for a pendulous abdomen, which, without 
undue pressure on the abdomen, will be a support. 
It is a good plan to have the belt made either to lace 
behind or with straps and buckles, in order that it 



190 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

may accommodate itself to the gradually increasing 
size of the womb. 

467. If she be delicate^ and if she have a languid 
circulation, she ought, besides the elastic belt, to 
apply a broad flannel bandage, which should go twice 
round the abdomen, and be put on moderately and 
comfortably tight. 

468. The patient, before the ajojjroach of labor, 
ought to take particular care to have the bowels 
gently opened, as during that time a costive state 
greatly increases her sufferings, and lengthens the 
period of her labor. I say a fjeiitle action is all that 
is necessary : a violent one would do more harm than 
good. 

469. Toothache is a frequent complaint of preg- 
nancy ; I wish to caution my gentle reader to avoid 
having a tooth extracted during the time she is 
enceinte ; miscarriage or premature labor has some- 
times followed the extraction of a tooth. It is neces- 
sary that this advice should be borne in mind, as the 
pain is sometimes so excruciating as to cause the 
sufferer to seek, at all hazards, speedy relief by 
extraction. Toothache is both worrying and weary- 
ing, and is, to all sufferers, most trying to the 
patience. 

470. If the tooth be decayed, the hollow ought to 
be filled with cotton wool, soaked in oil of cloves, or 
in equal parts of oil of cloves and of chloroform, or 
of laudanum and of chloroform, which should be 
frequently renewed ; or with what I have found an 
excellent remedy, a little alum dissolved in chloro- 
form.* A bit of cotton wool, placed in the ear of 

*Ten grains of powdered alum to half an ounce of 
chloroform. 



PREGNANCY. — MEDICINE. 191 

the affected side, will oftentimes relieve the tooth- 
ache arising from a decayed tooth. This simple 
remedy ought always to be tried before resorting to 
more active treatment. If the above remedies do 
not relieve, soak a small ball of cotton wool in chlo- 
roform, and insert it inside the ear, and let it remain 
there until the pain be relieved ; let it be from time 
to time renewed. I have frequently found the above 
plan in toothache most efficacious, and to afford relief 
when other means have failed. 

471. Creasote (spirits of tar) is sometimes applied, 
but of all remedies it is the worst for the purpose. I 
have known it, when thus used, severely injure and 
decay the whole of the remaining teeth : one case in 
particular I remember, of a gentleman who, by the 
frequent use of creasote, for the relief of toothache, 
lost the whole of his teeth I Not only so, but creasote 
applied to a tooth has been known to cause death : — 
'^ U Imparziale relates that a man, aged 36, died in 
the San Maria ]!^uova Hospital at Florence, from the 
results of the application of creasote to a carious 
tooth. ^^ The creasote produced inflammation of the 
gums, this was followed by mortification, and in six- 
teen days terminated in death. 

472. If the teeth be not decayed, especially if the 
stomach be disordered, let an aperient be taken. The 
state of the bowels ought always to be attended to, as 
toothache is frequently relieved, and, where the tooth 
is not decayed, cured, by a dose of opening medicine. 
Let the sides of the face be well fomented with hot 
camomile and poppy-head tea, and let a piece of 
crumb of bread (but not crumbed bread), be soaked 
for five minutes in boiling milk, and be frequently 
placed inside the mouth, between the cheek and gum ; 



193 ADVICE TO A WIFE, 

and let a large hot bread or linseed-meal poultice be 
applied at bedtime to the outside of the face. 

473. If the above does not have the desired effect, 
a piece of brown paper, the size of the palm of the 
hand, soaked in brandy, and then well peppered with 
black pepper, should be applied outside the cheek, 
over the part affected, and kept on for several hours. 
It ought from time to time to be removed. This 
simple and old-fashioned remedy will sometimes af- 
ford great relief. It is in these cases preferable to a 
mustard poultice, as it is less painful, and neither 
blisters nor injures the skin. 

474. If tlie pepper plaster does not afford relief, a 
ginger plaster should be tried : — 

Take of — Powdered Ginger, } 

jp-j , J of each, one table-spoonful ; 

Water, a sufficient quantity : 
To be well mixed together, adding the water drop by 
drop stirring it the while) until it be the consistence of 
paste. Let it be appHed ouiside the cheek, and let it 
remain on until the pain be relieved. 

475. If the tooth be not decayed, and if the pain 
of the face be more of a neuralgic (tic-douloureux) 
character, the following pills will frequently afford 
great relief : — 

Take of — Sulphate of quinine, twenty-four grains ; 

Powdered Extract of Liquoi-ice, six grains ; 
Treacle, a sufficient quantity : 
To make twelve pills. One to be taken three times a day. 

476. The teeth in pregnancy are very apt to de- 
cay : I have known several patients, each of whom 
has lost a tooth with every child I 

477. Morning-Sic'kness, — It is said to be ^"^ morn- 



PREGN^AKCY. — medici:n'e. 193 

ing/^ as in these cases^ unless the stomach be dis- 
ordered, it seldom occurs during any other part of 
the day. Morning-sickness may be distinguished 
from the sickness of a disordered stomach by the 
former occurring only early in the morning, on the 
first sitting up in bed, the patient during the remain- 
der of the day feeling quite free from sickness, and 
generally being able to eat and relish her food, as 
though nothing ailed her. 

478. Morning-sickness begins early in the morning, 
with a sensation of nausea, and as soon as she rises 
from bed she feels sick and retches ; and sometimes, 
but not always, vomits a little sour, watery, glairy 
fluid ; and occasionally, if she have eaten the night 
previously a hearty meal, the contents of the stomach 
are ejected. She then feels all right again, and is 
generally ready for her breakfast, which she eats 
with her usual relish. Many ladies have better ap- 
petites during pregnancy than at any other period of 
their lives. 

479. The sickness of a disordered stomach unac- 
companied with pregnancy may be distinguished from 
morning-sickness by the former continuing during 
the whole day, by the appetite remaining bad after 
the morning has passed, by a disagreeable taste in the 
mouth, and by the tongue being generally furred. 
Moreover, in such a case there is usually much flatu- 
lence. The patient not only feels but looks bilious. 

480. If the stomach be disordered* during preg- 
nancy, there will, of course, be a complication of 
the symptoms, and the morning-sickness may become 
both day and night sickness. Proper means ought 
then to be employed to correct the disordered stomach, 
and the patient will soon have only the morning-sick- 



194 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

iiess to contend against; which latter/ after she has 
quickened^ will generally leave of its own accord. 

481. Morning-sickness is frequently a distressing, 
although not a dangerous complaint. It is only dis- 
tressing while it lasts ; for after the stomach is un- 
loaded, the appetite generally returns, and the patient 
usually feels, until the next morning, quite well again, 
when she has to go through the same process as be- 
fore. It occurs both in the early and in the latter 
months of pregnancy ; more especially during the 
former, up to the period of quickening, at ivhich time 
it usually ceases. Morning-sickness is frequently the 
first harbinger of pregnancy, and is looked upon by 
many ladies who have had children as a sure and cer- 
tain sign. Morning-sickness does not always occur 
in pregnancy ; some women, at such times, are 
neither sick nor sorry. 

482. A good way to relieve it is by taking, before 
rising in the morning, a cup of strong coffee. If this 
should not have the desired effect, she ought to try 
an effervescing draught : — 

Take of — Bicarbonate of Potash, one drachm and a half ; 

Water, eight ounces : 
Two table-spoonfuls of this mixture to be taken with one 

of lemon juice every hour, whilst effervescing, until 

relief be obtained. 

483. A glass of champagne taken the over-night I 
have sometimes found to be the best remedy, and, if 
it have the desired effect, it certainly is the most 
agreeable. I have known, too, cider, where other 
things have failed, to succeed in abating morning- 
sickness. 

484. Sometimes she does not obtain relief from her 
sickness until the whole contents of the stomach have 



preg]S'a:s^cy. — medicixe. 195 

been ejected. She had better^ when such is the case^ 
drink plentifully of warm water^ in order to encour- 
age free vomiting. Such a plan^ of course^ is only- 
advisable when the morning-sickness is obsiinate, and 
when the treatment recommended above has failed 
to afford relief. 

485. The morning-sickness^ during the early 
months^ is caused by sympathy between the stomach 
and the womb ; and during the latter months by- 
pressure of the upper part of the womb against the 
stomach. As we cannot remove the sympathy and 
the pressure^ we cannot always relieve the sickness ; 
the patient^ therefore^ is sometimes obliged to bear 
with the annoyance. 

486. The bowels ought to be kept gently opened, 
by a dose of electuary of figs, raisins, and senna, or 
by a Seidlitz powder taken early in the morning, or 
by one or two compound rhubarb pills at bed-time, or 
by the following mixture : — 

Take of — Carbonate of Magnesia, two draclims ; 

Sulphate of Magnesia, one ounce ; 

Peppermint Water, seven ounces : 
A wineglassf u] of this mixture to be taken early in the 
morning occasionally, first shaking the bottle. 

487. Great attention ought in such a case to be 
paid to the diet ; it should be moderate in quantity, 
and simple in quality. Eich dishes, highly-seasoned 
soups, and melted butter, must be avoided. Hearty 
evening meals ought not on any account to be allowed. 
There is nothing better, if anything be taken at 
night, than a tea-cupful of nicely made and well- 
boiled oatmeal gruel, or arrow-root, or other farina- 
ceous food. Any of the above may be made witli 
water, or new milk, or with cream and water. 



196 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

488. It is an old saying, and, I believe, as a rule, 
true one, ^^ that sick pregnancies are safe,^' more es- 
pecially if the sickness leaves, which it generally does, 
after quickening. The above remarks, of course, do 
not include obstinate, inveterate vomiting, occasion- 
ally occurring in the latter period of pregnancy, and 
which not only takes place in the morning, but dur- 
ing the whole of the day and of the night, and for 
weeks together, sometimes bringing a patient to the 
brink of the grave. Such a case, fortunately, is ex- 
tremely rare. Another old and generally true saying 
is, ^' that females who have sick pregnancies seldom 
miscarry.^' There is another consolation for those 
who suffer from morning sickness, from heartburn, 
and the numerous other discomforts of pregnancy, 
namely, they frequently have kinder labors, more 
lively children, and more comfortable ^^ getting 
about '^ than those who, at such times do not at all 
suffer. Compensation here, as in almost everything 
else in this world, is found to prevail ! 

489. Means to liarden the Nipples . — A mother, es- 
pecially with her first child, sometimes suffers 
severely from sore nipples. Such suffering may fre- 
quently be prevented, if, for six weeks or two months 
before her confinement, she were to bathe her nipples 
every night and morning, for five minutes each time 
with a lotion of Eau de Cologne ; or glycerine and 
lavender water, or with brandy and water, equal parts 
of each. The better plan would be to have the lotion 
in a small bottle ready for use, putting a little each 
time into a tea-cup, so as to have it fresh. A soft 
piece of fine old linen rag should be used for the pur- 
pose of bathing. All pressure ought to be taken from 
the nipples ; if the stays, therefore, unduly press them 



PREGKA:NrCY. — MEDICIXE. 197 

either let them be enlarged, or let them be entirely 
removed. The nipples themselves ought to be covered 
with soft linen rag, as the friction of the flannel vest 
would be apt to irritate them. Let me recommend 
every pregnant lady, more esioecxaTlij in a first preg- 
nancy, to adopt one or other of the above plans to 
harden the nipples ; much misery will be averted, as 
sore nipples are painful and distressing ; and preven- 
tion at all times is better than cure. 

490. The Breasts are, at times, during pregnancy, 
7nncJi siuollen and very painful ; and, now and then, 
they cause the patient great uneasiness, as she fancies 
that she is going to have either some dreadful tumor 
or a gathering of the bosom. There need, in such a 
case, be no apprehension. The swelling and the pain 
are the consequences of the pregnancy, and will in due 
time subside without any unpleasant result. The 
fact is, great changes are taking place in the breasts ; 
they are developing themselves, and are preparing for 
the important functions they will have to perform 
the moment the laibor is completed. 

491. Treatment. — She cannot do better than rub 
them well, every night and morning, with equal parts 
of Eau de Cologne and olive oil, and wear a piece of 
new flannel over them ; taking care to cover the nip- 
ples with soft linen, as the friction of the flannel 
might irritate them. The liniment encourages a little 
milky fluid to ooze out of the nipples which will afford 
relief. 

493. If stays be worn, the patient should wear them 
loose, in order to allow the breasts room to develop 
.themselves. The bones of the stays ought all to be 
removed, or serious consequences may ensue. 

493. Bowel complaints, during pregnancy, are not 



198 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

unfreqnent. A dose either of rhubarb and mag- 
nesia, or of castor oil, are the best remedies, and are 
generally, in the way of medicine, all that is neces- 
sary. 

494. The diet at such times ought to be simple, 
small in quantity, and nourishing. Farinaceous food 
such as rice, tapioca, sago, corn-flour, and arrow-root 
are particularly beneficial. Green vegetables and 
fruits, especially stone-fruits and uncooked fruits 
ought to be avoided. 

495. The surface of the body — the bowels and feet 
particularly — ought to be kept warm. If a lady suffer 
habitually from relaxation of the bowels, let her, by 
all means, wear a vest next to the skin and a flannel 
bandage over the abdomen. 

496. The Bladder, — The patient during pregnancy 
is liable to various affections of the bladder. There 
is sometimes a sluggishness of that organ, and she has 
little or no inclination to make water. There is, at 
another time, a great irritahiUtij of the bladder, and 
she is constantly wanting to pass urine ; while, in a 
third case, more especially towards the latter period 
of the time, she can scarcely hold her water at all — 
the slightest bodily exertion, such as walking, stoop- 
ing, coughing, sneezing, etc., causing it to come 
away involuntarily ; and even in some cases, where 
she is perfectly still, it dribbles away without her 
having any power to prevent its doing so. These 
symptoms are caused by pressure on the bladder by 
the enlarged womb, and, of course, disappear with 
the pregnancy. 

497. A Sluggish State of the Bladder is best 
remedied by gentle exercise, and by the patient at- 



PREGXAXCY. — MEDICIXE. 199 

tempting^ whether she want or not^, to make water at 
least every four hours. 

498. Irritability of the Bladder, — The patient 
ought, during the day, to drink freely of the follow- 
ing beverage : — 

Take of — Gum Arabic, one ounce ; 
Pearl Barley, one ounce ; 
Water, one pint and a half : 
Boil for a quarter of an hour, then strain, and sweeten 
either with sugar-candy or with lump sugar. 

499. The bowels ought to be gently opened with 
small doses of castor oil. The patient must abstain 
from stimulants, and should live on a mild, bland, 
nourishing diet. 

500. Where the patient cannot hold her icater, 
there is not much to be done, as the pregnant womb, 
by pressing on the bladder, prevents much present 
relief. The comfort is, as soon as the labor is over, 
it will cure itself. She ought to tighten the lower 
part of the abdominal belt she is wearing, so as to 
better support the bowels, and thus relieve the pres- 
sure on the bladder, and to lie down frequently in 
the day either on a horse-hair mattress or on a couch. 
She should drink but a moderate quantity of liquid, 
and if she have a cough (for a cough greatly increases 
this inability to hold the water), she ought to take 
the following mixture : — 

Take of — Compound Tincture of Camphor, half an 
ounce : 
Compound Spirits of Lavender, half a drachm ; 
Oxymel of Squills, six drachms ; 
Water, six ounces and a half : 
Two table-spoonfuls of this mixture to be taken three 
times a day. 

501. Fainting, — A delicate woman, when she is 



200 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

enceinte, is apt either to feel faint or to actually faint 
away. When one considers the enormous changes 
that take place during pregnancy^ and the great pres- 
sure there is upon the nerves and the blood-vessels, 
it is not at all surprising that she should faint. 
There is one consolation^ that although fainting at 
such times is disagreeable, it is not at all dangerous, 
unless the patient be really laboring under a disease 
of the heart. 

502. Treatment, — If the patient feels faint, she 
ought immediately to lie down flat on her back, 
without a pillow under her liead ; that is to say, her 
head should be on a level witli lier body. The stays 
and any tight articles of dress — if slie have been fool- 
ish enough to wear either tight stays or tight clothes 
— ought to be loosened ; the windows should be 
thrown wide open ; water ought to be sprinkled on 
her face ; and sal-volatile — a teaspoonf ul in a wine- 
glassful of water — or a glass of wine, must be ad- 
ministered. Smelling-salts should be applied to the 
nostrils. The attendants — there should only be one 
or two present — should not crowd around her, as she 
ought to have plenty of room to breathe. 

503. She must, in the intervals, live on a good, 
light, generous diet. She should keep early hours, 
and ought to sleep in a well-ventilated apartment. 
The following strengthening medicine will be found 
serviceable : — 

Take of — Sulphate of Quinine, twelve grains ; 

Dikited Sulphuric Acid, half a drachm ; 
Syrup of Orange-peel, half an ounce ; 
Water, seven ounces and a half : 
Two table-spoonfuls of the mixture to be taken three 
times a day. 



pkeg:n'akcy. — medici^^e. 201 

If she be delicate^ a change either to the country, or 
if the railway journey be not very long, to the coast, 
will be desirable. 

504. A nervous patient during this period is sub- 
ject to palpitation of the heart. This palpitation, 
provided it occurs only during pregnancy, is not 
dangerous ; it need not therefore cause alarm. It is 
occasioned by the pressure of the pregnant womb 
upon the large blood-vessels, which induces a tempo- 
rary derangement of the hearths action. This palpi- 
tation is generally worse at night, when the patient is 
lying down. There is, at these times, from the posi- 
tion, greater pressure on the blood-vessels. Moreover, 
when she is lying down, the midriff, in consequence 
of the increased size of the abdomen, is pressed up- 
wards, and hence the heart has not its accustomed 
room to work in, and palpitation is in consequence 

. the result. 

505. The best remedies will be half a teaspoonful 
of compound spirits of lavender, or a teaspoonful of 
sal-volatile in a wine-glassful of camphor water, or a 
combination of lavender and of sal-volatile : — 

Take of — Compound Spirits of Lavender, one drachm ; 
Sal- Volatile, eleven drachms : 
Mix. — A teaspoonful of the drops to be taken occasion- 
ally in a wine-glassful of water. 

506. These medicines ought to lie on a table by the 
bedside of the patient, in order that they may, if 
necessary, be administered at once. In these cases a 
stimulant is sometimes given, but it is a dangerous 
remedy to administer every time there is palpitation. 
The lavender and the sal-volatile are perfectly safe 
medicines, and can never do the slightest harm. 

507. Mental emotion, fatigue, late hours, and close 



202 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

rooms ought to be guarded against. Gentle outdoor 
exercise, and cheerful but not excitable company, are 
desirable. 

508. Cramps of the legs and of the thighs during 
the latter period, and especially at night, are apt to 
attend pregnancy, and are caused by the womb press- 
ing upon the nerves which extend to the lower ex- 
tremities. Treatment. — Tightly tie a handkerchief 
folded like a neckerchief round the limb a little above 
the part affected, and let it remain on for a few min- 
utes. Friction by means of the hand either with 
opodeldoc or with laudanum, taking care not to drink 
the lotion hy mistake, will also give relief. Cramp 
sometimes attacks either the bowels or the back of a 
pregnant woman ; when such is the case, let a bag of 
hot salt, or a vulcanized indiarubber hot-water bag, 
or a tin stomach-warmer filled with hot water, and 
covered with flannel, or a stone bottle containing 
hot water, wrapped in flannel, be applied over the 
part affected ; and let either a stone bottle of hot 
water or a hot brick, which should be encased in 
flannel, be placed to the soles of the feet. If the 
cramp of the bowels, of the back, or of the thighs be 
very severe, the following mixture will be service- 
able : — 

Take of — Compound Tincture of Camphor, one ounce ; 
Dill Water, five ounces ; 
A wine-glassful of this mixture to be taken at bed-time 
occasionally and to be repeated, if necessary, in four 
hours. 

509. ^^ The Whites/^ during pregnancy, especially 
during the latter months, and particularly if the lady 
have had many children, are frequently troublesome, 
and are, in a measure, occasioned by the pressure 



PREGNAKCY. — MEDICIXE. 203 

of the womb on the parts below causing irritation. 
The chief cause^ however^ of the white creamy dis- 
charge which usually accompanies pregnancy is the 
shedding of mucous membrane from the mouth and 
neck of the womb. This is a natural process and 
cannot be averted. The best way, therefore, to 
obviate such pressure is for the patient to lie down 
a great part of each day either on a bed or on a sofa. 
She ought to retire early to rest ; she should sleep 
on a horsehair mattress and in a well-ventilated 
apartment, and should not overload her bed with 
clothes. A thick, heavy quilt at these times, and 
indeed at all times, is particularly objectionable ; 
the perspiration cannot pass readily through it as 
. through blankets, and thus she is weakened. She 
ought to live on plain, wholesome, nourishing food ; 
and she must abstain from beer and wine and spirits. 
The bowels ought to be gently opened by means of a 
Seidlitz powder, which should occasionally be taken 
early in the morning. 

510. The best application will be to bathe the 
parts with warm water, night and morning. If this 
should not have the desired effect, an alum lotion * 
should be injected into the vagina (the passage to 
the womb) by means of an indiarubber syringe, every 
night and morning ; or fifteen drops of the solution 
of subacetate of lead should be added to a quarter of 
a pint of lukewarm water, and be used in a similar 
manner as the alum lotion. 

511. Cleanliness, in these cases, cannot be too 
strongly urged. Indeed, every woman, either married 



* Dissolve half a teaspoonful of powdered alum in a 
quarter of a pint of tepid water, to make the lotion. 



204 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

or single^ ought^ unless special circumstances forbid^ 
to use either the bidet or a sitz-bath. If she have 
not ^Hhe whites/^ or if she have them only slightly, 
tepid water is preferable to cold I should advise, 
then, every lady, both married and single, whether 
she have '^the whites ^^ or not, a regular sitz-bath 
every morning y except during her '^ monthly periods " 
— that is to say, I should recommend her to sit every 
morning in the water for a few seconds, or whilst 
she can count a hundred ; throwing the while either 
a small blanket or shawl over her shoulders, but 
having no other clothing on except slippers on her 
feet. She should, for the first few mornings, make 
the water lukewarm ; but the sooner she can use it 
cold — quite cold — the more good it will do her. If 
the above plan were more generally followed, women 
of all classes and ages would derive great benefit 
from its adoption, and many serious diseases would 
be warded off. Besides, the use of the sitz-bath, 
after a time, would be a great comfort and enjoy- 
ment. 

512. Where a lady suffers severely from ^^ the 
whites,^^ she may go to the seaside. There is noth- 
ing in such cases that generally affords so much relief 
as the bracing effects of sea air. Sea-bathing will 
generally act as an invigorating tonic. The rule to 
follow is to have the whole body under water while 
bathing, and not to remain longer than ten minutes 
in the water. 

513. When the patient has been much weakened 
by ^^the whites, ^^ she will derive benefit from a 
quinine mixture (see a previous paragraph) — a dose 
of which ought to be taken twice or three times a 
day. 



PREG^S^A^^CY. — MEDICIKE. 205 

514. Irritation and itcliing of the external parts, — 
This is a most troublesome affection, and may occur 
at any time, but more especially during the latter 
period of the pregnancy ; and as it is a subject that a 
lady is sometimes too delicate and too sensitive to 
consult a medical man about, I think it well to lay 
down a few rules for her relief. The misery it 
entails, if not relieved, is almost past endurance. 

515. Well, then, in the first place, let her diet be 
simple and nourishing; let her avoid stimulants of 
all kinds. In the next place, and this is a most im- 
portant item of treatment, let her use a tepid salt- 
and-water sitz-bath. The way to prepare the bath 
is to put a large handful of table salt into the sitz- 
bath, then to add cold water to the depth of three 
or four inches, and sufficient hot water to make the 
water tepid or luheioarni. The patient must sit in 
the bath ; her slippered feet being, of course, out of 
the water, and on the ground, and either a woollen 
shawl or a small blanket being thrown over her 
shoulders — which shawl or blanket ought to be the 
only covering she has on the while. She should 
remain only for a few seconds, or while she can 
count, in the winter, fifty, or in the summer, a hun- 
dred, in the bath. Patients generally derive great 
comfort and benefit from these salt-and-water sitz- 
baths. 

516. If the itching, during the daytime, continue, 
the following lotion ought to be used : — 

Take of — Solution of Subacetate of Lead, one drachm ; 

Rectified Spirits of Wine, one drachm ; 

Distilled Water, one pint : 
To make a lotion. — The parts affected to be bathed three 
or four times a day with the lotion. Or the parts may 



20G ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

be bathed two or three times a day with equal parts of 
vinegar and of water. Or ten poppy-heads boiled in 
two pints of water, cooled down, make an excellent 
soothing lotion applied to the parts, and also injected 
into the vagina. 
Another soothing and cooling lotion is a saturated solu- 
tion of boracic acid, that is, a solution containing as 
much boracic acid as the water will dissolve. 

517. The external parts, and the passage to the 
womb (the vagina), in these cases, are not only irri- 
table and itching, but are sometimes /^o/and inflamed, 
and are covered either with small pimples, or loith a 
tvhitish exudation of the nature of aphta (thrush), 
somewhat similar to the thrush on the mouth of an 
infant ; then, the addition of gl)^cerine to the lotion 
is a great improvement, and usually gives much re- 
lief. Either of the following is a good lotion for the 
purpose : — 

Take of— Biborate of Soda, eight drachms ; 

Glycerine, five ounces ; 

Distilled Water, ten ounces : 
To make a lotion. — The part affected to be bathed every 
four hours with the lotion, first shaking the bottle. 

Or, 

Take of — Solution of Subacetate ^ 

of Lead. (. of each, one drachm ; 

Rectified Spirits of Wine, ) 
Glycerine, five ounces ; 
Rose Water, ten ounces and a half : 
To make a lotion. — To be used in the same manner as the 
preceding one. 

MISCARRIAGE. 

The untimely fniit of woman. — The Psalms. 
A miscarrying ivomb and dry breasts. — Hosea. 

518. If a jjremature expulsion of the child occurs 
before the end of the seventh month, it is called 



PREGKA^s'CY. — MISCARRIAGE. 207 

either a miscaiTiage or an cibortion ; if between the 
seventh month and before the f till period of nine 
months^ ^premature labor, 

519. A premature labor ^ in the graphic language 
of the Bible, is called ^^an untimely birth/^ and un- 
timely in every sense of the word it truly is I Un- 
timely for mother ; untimely for doctor ; untimely 
for monthly nurse ; untimely for all preconcerted 
arrangements ; untimely for child, causing him un- 
timely death. A more expressive word for the pur- 
pose it is impossible to find. 

520. There is proneness for a young wife to mis- 
carry, and woe betide her if she once establish the 
haMty for it, unfortunately, often becomes a habit. 
A miscarriage is a serious calamity, and should be 
considered in that light ; not only to the wife herself, 
w^hose constitution frequent miscarriages would seri- 
ously injure, and eventually ruin ; but it would rob 
the loife of one of her greatest earthly privileges, 
the inestimable pleasure and delight of being a 
mother. 

521. Now, as a miscarriage may generally be pre- 
vented, it behoves a wife to look well into the matter, 
and to study the subject thoroughly for herself, in 
order to guard against her first miscarriage ; for the 
first miscarriage is the one w^hich frequently leads to 
a series. How necessary it is that the above impor- 
tant fact should be borne in mind I How much 
misery might be averted ; as, then, by avoiding the 
usual causes, means w^ould be taken to ward off such 
an awful calamity. I am quite convinced that in the 
majority of cases miscarriages may be prevented. 

522. Hence the importance of a po2ndar work of 
this kind, to point out the dangers, to give judicious 



208 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

advice^ that a wife may read^ ponder over^ and ^^ in- 
wardly digest ; '' and that she may see the folly of 
the present practices that wives — young wives es- 
pecially — usually indulge in ; and thus that she 
may avoid the rocks they split on, which make a 
shipwreck of their most cherished hopes and treas- 
ures ! How^ unless a wife be taught, can she gain 
such information ? That she can know it intui- 
tively is utterly imjiossible ! She can only know it 
from her doctor, and from him she does not often 
like to ask such questions. She must, therefore, by 
a popular work of this kind, be enlightened, or loss 
of life to her unborn babe, and broken health to her- 
self, will, in all probability, be the penalties of her 
ignorance. It is utter folly to say that all such mat- 
ters should be left entirely to the doctor — the mis- 
chief is usually done before he is consulted ; besides, 
she herself is the right person to understand it, as 
she herself is the one to prevent it, and the one, if it 
be not prevented, to suffer. How many a broken con- 
stitution and an untimely end have resulted from the 
want of such knowledge as is contained in this book ! 
It is perfectly ridiculous to assert that a doctor can 
in a few minutes^ consultation, thoroughly inform a 
pregnant female of all that is necessary for her to 
know for the prevention of a miscarriage. 

523. Let it then be thoroughly understood — first, 
that a miscarriage is very w^eakening — more weaken- 
ing than a labor ; and, secondly, that if a lady have 
once miscarried, she is more likely to miscarry again 
and again, until at length her constitution be broken, 
and the chances of her having a child becomes small 
indeed ! Woe betide such a one if she becomes the 
victim of such a habit ! 



PREGisrAXCY. — MISCARRIAGE. 209 

524. Causes. — A slight cause will frequently occa- 
sion tlie separation of the child from the mother^ and 
its consequent death and expulsion ; hence the readi- 
ness with which a lady sometimes miscarries. The fol- 
lowing are the most common causes of a young wife 
miscarrying : — taking long walks ; riding on horse- 
back, or oyer rough roads in a carriage ; a long railway 
journey ; over-exerting herself, and sitting up late 
at night ; too frequent sexual intercourse. Her mind 
just after marriage, is oftentimes too much excited by 
large parties, by balls, and concerts. The following 
are, moreover, frequent causes of a miscarriage : — 
Falls ; all violent emotions of the mind, passion, 
fright, etc. ; fatigue ; over-reaching ; sudden shocks ; 
taking a wrong step either in ascending or in descend- 
ing stairs ; falling downstairs ; lifting heavy weights ; 
violent purgatives ; obstinate constipation ; debility 
of constitution ; consumptive habit of body ; fashion- 
able amusements ; dancing ; late hours ; tight lac- 
ing ; — indeed, anything and everything that in- 
juriously effects either the mind or the body. 

525. I have enumerated above, that taking a long 
railway journey is one cause of a miscarriage. It 
certainly is a cause, and a frequent cause of a mis- 
carriage. It is dangerous until she has quickened, 
for a pregnant woman to take a long railway journey, 
as it may bring on a miscarriage. It is also attended 
with great risk for a lady who is enceinte, i^YO or 
three months before she expects her confinement, to 
undertake a long journey by rail, as it might induce 
a premature labor, which often comes on at about the 
seventh month. This advice, of course, holds good 
with tenfold force if a lady be prone to miscarry, or 
to bring forth a child prematurely. A lady predis- 

14 



210 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

posed either to miscarry^ or to bring forth pre- 
maturely^ ought not^ duri7ig any period of her preg- 
nancy y to take a long railway Journey, as it might be 
attended with disastrous consequences. 

526. The old maxim, that ^^ prevention is better 
than cure/^ is well exemplified in the case of a mis- 
carriage. Let me, then, appeal strongly to my fair 
reader to do all that she can, by avoiding the usual 
causes of a miscarriage which I have above enumer- 
ated, to prevent such a catastrophe. A miscarriage 
is no trifling matter ; it is one of the most grievous 
accidents that can occur to a tcife, and is truly a 
catastrophe. Miscarriage involves the peeling off 
from the walls of the womb of the young and grow- 
ing product of conception before its natural time, 
when it drops off like a ripe fruit. 

527. Threatening or warning symptoms of a Mis- 
carriage, — A lady about to miscarry usually, for one 
or two days, experiences a feeling of lassitude, of de- 
bility, of malaise, and depression of spirits ; she feels 
as though she were going to be taken ^^ poorly ; " she 
complains of weakness and uneasiness about the loins, 
the hips, the thighs, and the lower part of the abdo- 
men. This is an important stage of the case, and 
one in which a judicious medical man may, almost to 
a certainty, be able to stave 'off a miscarriage. 

528. More serious, hut still only threatening symp- 
toms of a Miscarriage, — If the above symptoms be 
allowed to proceed, unchecked and untended, she 
will, after a day or two, have a slight show of blood ; 
this show may soon increase to a flooding, which will 
shortly become clotted. Then, perhaps, she begins 
for the first time to dread a miscarriage ! There 
may at this time be but little pain, and the miscar- 



PREGNANCY. — MISCARRIAGE. ^11 

riage might, with judicious treatment, be even now 
warded off. At all events, if the miscarriage cannot 
be prevented, the ill effects to her constitution may, 
with care, be palliated, and means used to prevent a 
future miscarriage. 

529. Decided symptoms of a Miscarriage. — If the 
miscarriage be still proceeding, a new train of symp- 
toms develops itself : pains begin to come on, at 
first slight, irregular, and of a "^^ grinding'^ nature, 
but which soon become more severe, regular, and 
^^ bearing-down.^^ Indeed, the case is now a labor 
in miniature ; it becomes le commencement cle la fin ; 
the patient is sure to miscarry, as the child is now 
dead, and separated from its connection with the 
mother. 

530. There are two Stages of Miscarriage — (1) Tlie 
separatio7i of the ovum from the womb ; and (2) 77ie 
expidsion of the ovum from the womb : the f ormer,f rom 
the rupture of vessels, is necessarily attended with 
more or less of flooding ; the latter, in addition to 
the flooding, from the contraction of the womb, with 
more or less of pain. Kow, if there be separation, 
there must follow expulsion. Mature is doing all she 
can to get rid of the separated ovum, which has be- 
come a foreign body ; and if there be expulsion, 
there must, of necessity, be pain, as contraction of 
the womb invariably causes pain. Hence, there is, 
in every miscarriage, more or less of flooding and of 
pain ; indeed, you cannot have a miscarriage without 
both the one and the other. 

531. A sudden freedom, in a miscarriage, from 
flooding and from pain, often tells of the escape of 
the ovum from the womb. Although the ovum may 
still be lodging in the vagina — the passage from the 



212 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

womb — from thence it will readily and speedily, of 
its own accord, come away ; therefore, on that head, 
there need be no apprehension. 

532. The most usual time for a lady to miscarry is 
from the eighth to the twelfth week. It is not, of 
course, confined to this period, as during the whole 
time of pregnancy there is a chance of a premature 
expulsion of the contents of the womb. A miscar- 
riage iefore the fourth month is at the time attended 
with little danger ; although, if neglected, it may 
forever injure the constitution. 

533. There is, then, in every miscarriage, more or 
less of Flooding, which is the most important symp- 
tom. After the fourth month it is accompanied 
with more risk, as the further a lady is advanced in 
her pregnancy, tlie greater is her danger of increased 
flooding ; notwithstanding, under judicious treat- 
ment, there is every chance of her doing well. A 
medical man ought to be sent for in such a case al- 
ways. There is much more care required in a mis- 
carriage than in an ordinary labor. 

534. If hearing-doion, expiilsive Pains — similar to 
labor pains — should accompany the flooding ; if the 
flooding increase, and if large clots come away ; if 
the breasts become smaller and softer ; and if the 
milk having previously been a little in the bosom, 
suddenly dry up ; if there be coldness and heaviness, 
and diminution in the size of the abdomen ; if the 
motion of the child (the patient having quickened) 
cannot be felt; if there be ^"^the impression of a 
heavy mass rolling about the uterus [womb], or the 
falling of the uterine tumor from side to side in the 
abdomen as the patient changes her position ; '' and 
if there be an unpleasant discharge from the vagina. 



II 



PREGXAXCY. — MISCARRIAGE. 213 

she may rest assured that the child is dead^ and that 
it is separated from all connection with her^ and that 
the miscarriage must proceed, it being only a ques- 
tion of time. Of course, in such a case — if she have 
not already done so — she ought immediately to send for 
a medical man. A miscarriage sometimes begins and 
ends in a few days — five or six ; it at other times con- 
tinues a fortnight, and even in some cases three 
weeks. 

535. Treatment, — If the patient have the slightest 
^^ show/' she ought immediately to confine herself 
either to a sofa, or she should keep in bed. A soft 
feather bed must be avoided ; it both enervates the 
body and predisposes to a miscarriage. There is 
nothing better for her to sleep on than a horsehair 
mattress. She either ought to lie flat on her back, 
or should lie upon her side, as it is quite absurd for 
her merely to rest her legs and feet, as it is the back 
and the abdomen, not the feet aid legs, which re- 
quire rest. 

536. Sexual intercourse should, in such a case, be 
carefully avoided ; indeed, the patient ought to have 
a separate bed. This is most important advice, for if 
it be not followed, the threatening miscarriage will 
be almost sure to be un fait accompli. 

537. Let her put herself on low diet, such as on 
arrow-root, tapioca, sago, gruel, chicken-broth, tea, 
toast-and-water, and lemonade ; and whatever she 
does drink, ought, during the time of the miscarriage, 
to be cold. Grapes at these times are cooling and 
refreshing. 

538. The temperature of the bedroom should be 
kept cool ; and, if it be summer, the window ought 
to be thrown open ; aperient medicines must be 



214 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

avoided ; and if the flooding be violent^ cold water 
should be applied externally to the parts. 

539. Let me strongly urge ujoon the patient the 
vast importance of preserving any and every sub- 
stance that may come away, in order that it be care- 
fully examined by the medical man. It is utterly 
impossible for a doctor to declare positively that a 
lady has really miscarried, and that all has properly 
come away, if he have not the opportunity of examin- 
ing the substances for himself. How often has a lady 
declared to her medical man that she has miscarried, 
when she has only parted with clots of blood ! Clots 
sometimes put on strange appearances, and require a 
practised and professional eye to decide at all times 
upon what they really are. 

540. The same care is required after a 7niscarriage 
as after a labor ; indeed, a patient requires to be 
treated much in the same manner — that is to say, she 
ought to keep her bed, and should live upon the diet 
I have recommended after a confinement, avoiding 
for the first few days stimulants of all kinds. Many 
women date their ill state of health to a neglected 
miscarriage ; it therefore behoves a lady to guard 
against such a misfortune. 

541. A patient prone to miscarry ought, before she 
become pregnant again, to use every means to brace 
and strengthen her system. The best plan that she 
can adopt will be to leave her husband for 
SEVERAL mo:n^ths, and go to some healthy spot ; 
neither to a fashionable watering-place, nor to a 
friend's house where much company is kept, but to 
some quiet country place, if to a healthy farm-house 
so much the better. 

543. Early hours are quite indispensable. She 



pregna:n^cy. — miscarriage. 215 

ought to lie on a horsehair mattress^ and should have 
but scant clothing on the bed. She must sleep in a 
well-ventilated apartment. Her diet should be light 
and nourishing. Gentle exercise ought to be taken, 
which should alternate with frequent rest. 

543. Cold ablutions ought every morning to be 
used^ and the body should be afterwards dried with 
coarse towels. If it be winter^ let the water be made 
tepid, and let its temperature be gradually lowered 
until it be used quite cold. A shower-bath is in 
these cases serviceable ; it braces and invigorates the 
system, and is one of the best tonics she can have. 

544. If she ie already pregnant it would not be 
admissible, as the shock of the shower-bath would be 
too great, and might bring on a miscarriage ; but 
still sA^ ought to continue the cold ablutions. 

545. A lady who is prone to miscarry, as soon as 
she is pregnant, must lie down a great part of every 
day ; she must keep her mind calm and unruffled ; 
she must live on a plain diet ; she must avoid all 
stimulants ; she must have a separate sleeping apart- 
ment or separate bed, and she should retire early to 
rest. She ought as much as possible to abstain from 
taking opening medicine ; and if she be actually 
obliged to take an aperient — for the bowels must not 
be allowed to be constipated — she should select the 
mildest (such as castor oil, or lenitive electuary, or 
syrup of senna), and even of these she ought not to 
take a larger dose than is absolutely necessary, as a 
free action of the bowels is a frequent cause of mis- 
carriage. 

546. Gentle walking exercise daily is desirable: 
long walks and horse exercise must be sedulously 
avoided. A trip to the coast, provided the railway 



216 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

journey be not very long, would be likely to prevent 
a miscarriage. I would not^ on any account, rec- 
ommend such a patient either to bathe in, or to sail 
on, the water^ as the shock of the former would be 
too great, and the motion of the vessel and the sea- 
sickness would be likely to bring on what we were 
anxious to avoid. 

547. As the usual period for miscarrying ap- 
proaches (for it frequently comes on at one particular 
time), let the patient be more than usually careful ; 
let her lie down the greater part of the day ; let her 
mind be kept calm and unruffled ; let all fashionable 
society and every exciting amusement be eschewed ; 
let both the sitting and the sleeping apartments be 
kept cool and well ventilated ; let the bowels (if they 
be costive) be opened by an enema of warm water (if 
the external application of castor oil, as a liniment, 
be not sufficient) ; let the diet be simple and yet be 
nourishing ; let all stimulants, such as beer, wine, 
and spirits, be at this time avoided ; and if there be 
the slightest symptoms of an approaching miscarriage, 
such as pains in the loins, in the hips, or in the 
lower part of the abdomen, or if there be the slight- 
est show of blood, let a medical man be instantly 
sent for, as he may, at an early period, be able to 
ward off the threatened mishap. 



FALSE LABOR PAINS. 



4 



548. A lady, especially in her first pregnancy, is 
sometimes troubled with spurious labor pains ; these 
pains usually come on at night, and are frequently 
owing to a disordered stomach. They affect the 
abdomen, the back, and the loins ; and occasionally 



PREGNA:N'CY. — FALSE LABOR PAIXS. 217 

they extend down the hips and the thighs. They 
attack first one place and then another ; they come 
on at irregular intervals ; at one time they are vio- 
lent, at another they are feeble. The pains, instead 
of being grindi7ig or iearing-doiun, are more of a 
colicky nature. 

549. Xow^ as these false pains more frequently 
occur in a first pregnancy, and as they are often 
more violent two or three weeks before the comple- 
tion of the full time, and as they usually come on 
either at night or in the night, it behooves both the 
patient and the monthly nurse to be cognizant of the 
fact, in order that they may not make a false alarm, 
and summon the doctor before he be really wanted, 
and when he cannot be of the slightest benefit to the 
patient. 

550. It is sometimes stated that a woman has been 
in labor two or three weeks before' the child was born ! 
Such is not the fact. The case in question is one 
probably of false pains ending in true pains. 

551. Hoiv, then, is the patient to hnoio that tlie pains 
are false and not true lalor pains ? False labor 
pains come on three or four weeks lefore the full 
time; true labor pains at i\\e completion of the full 
time : false pains are unattended with ^' show ;^^ true 
pains generally commence the labor with ^^show '/' 
false pains are generally migratory — changing from 
place to place — first attacking the loins, then the 
hips, then the lower portions, and even other por- 
tions of the abdomen — first one part, then another ; 
true pains generally begin in the back : false pains 
commence as spasmodic pains ; true pains as ^'^ grind- 
ing '' pains : false pains come on at uncertain periods, 
at one time a quarter of an hour elapsing, at others. 



218 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

an hour or two hours between each pain — at one 
time the pain is sharp, at another trifling ; true pains 
come on with tolerable regularity, and gradually in- 
crease in severity, and the intervals of freedom from 
pain become less and less. 

552. But remember — the most valuable distinguish- 
ing symptom is the absence of ^^show^^ in false labor 
pains, and the presence of ^^show'^ in true labor 
pains. It might be said that ^^ show '^ does not always 
usher in the commencement of labor. Granted ; but 
such cases are exceedingly rare, and may be con- 
sidered as the exception and not the rule. 

553. Treatment, — A dose of castor oil is generally 
all that is necessary ; but if the pains still continue, 
the patient ought to be abstemious, abstaining for a 
day or two from beer and wine, and rubbing the ab- 
domen every night at bedtime either with cam- 
phorated oil, previously warmed, or with laudanum, 
taking care not to drink the latter by mistake. Hot 
salt, in a flannel bag, or a vulcanized indiarubberliot- 
water bag, applied every night at bedtime to the 
abdomen frequently affords great relief. If the pains 
be not readily relieved she ought to send for a medi- 
cal man, as a little appropriate medicine will soon 
have the desired effect. 

554. The^Q false labor pains may go on either for 
days, or even for weeks, and at length may, at full 
time, terminate in real labor pains — thus causing a 
patient sometimes to suppose and to assert that she 
has been in labor for weeks, while she has, in reality, 
only been in real labor the usual length of time. 

PERIOD OF GESTATION— " THE COUNT." 

555. The period of gestation is usually two hundred 



PREGNAXCY. — PERIOD OF GESTATION". 219 

and seventy-five days — forty weeks — ten lunar or nine 
calendar months. 

bo6. It will be well for a lady^ in making her 
^^count/^ to commence her ^^ reckoning ^' about three 
days after the last day of her being ^^ unwell.'" The 
reason we fix on a woman conceiving a few days 
after she has ^^ ceased to be unwell/" is. that she is 
more apt to conceive soon after menstruation than at 
any other time. 

557. A good plan to make the ^^ reckoning "" is as 
follows : — Let forty weeks and a few days^ from the 
time specified above^ be marked on an almanac^ and 
a lady will seldom be far from her calculation. Sup- 
pose^ for instance, the last day of her '^ ceasing to be 
unwell "" was on January the loth^ she may expect to 
be confined on or about October the 25th. The most 
simple plan of reckoning the probable date of the 
birth is to count 275 days from the end of the last 
period. In France 270 days is held to be the usual 
duration of pregnancy. The Talmud fixes the max- 
imum period of pregnancy at 271 days^ and as ex- 
tending sometimes to 272 or 273 days. In cases 
where I have had a good opportunity of fixing dates, 
the births of mature children have occurred between 
270 to 275 days. 

558. A Pregnancy Talle, — The following Talle, 
showing the prohahJe commencement, duration, and 
completion of pregnancy, and indicating the date on 
or about which day the labor might occur, will, I 
trust, be found very useful, although it allows a little 
longer than 275 days. This Table allows three days 
over the 280 days — making §83 days ; that is to say, 
^Hhe count"" of 280 days commences three days after 
the last day of a lady being '' unwell."" The reason 



220 



ADVICE TO A WIFE. 



I have chosen three days after the last clay of mens- 
truation^ is^ a lady is more likely to conceive a few 
days^ say three days, after the last day of her 
^^ periods ^^ than at any other time. The reckoning, 
then, in this Table, is made to begin from the last day 
of ^^ her periods '' — three days being allowed over for 
conception — thus making 283 days from the last day 
of ^^ the periods ^^ until the completion of the preg- 
nancy, on or about which day — the 283d day — the 
labor is likely to occur. 

A PREGNANCY TABLE. 1 



Last Day of 
" the Periods-' 



Jan. 



1 
2 
3 

4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 



Labor 


On or About 


. Oct. 


11 




12 




13 




14 




15 




16 




17 




18 




19 




20 




21 




23 




23 




24 




25 




26 




27 




28 




29 




30 




31 


. Nov. 


1 


'• 


2 




3 




4 




5 




6 




'7 




8 




9 




10 



Last Day of 




Labor 


" the Periods." On or About 


Feb. 1 . 


. . Nov. 11 


2 . 




*' 12 


3 . 




^' 13 


4 . 




- 14 


5 . 




'^ 15 


6 . 




. - 1ft 


7 . 




** 17 


8 . 




'' IS 


9 . 




'^ 19 


10 . 




<< 201 


11 . 




; '' 21 


12 . 




<< 2» 


13 . 




; *' 23 


14 . 




*' 24 


15 . 




'' 25 


16 . 




*' 26 


17 . 




. ** 27 


18 . 




** 28 


19 . 




** 29 


'* 20 . 




*^ 30 


21 . 




. Dec. 1 


22 . 




** 2 


23 . 




*' 3 


24 . 




*' 4 


25 . 




'' 5 


26 . 




'' 6 


27 . 




'' 7 


28 . 




** 8 


Mar. 1 . 




'' 9 


2 . 




'' 10 


" 3 . 




** 11 



PREGKAXCY. — A PEEGXAKCY TABLE. 



231 



Last Day of 




Labor 


Last Day of 




Labor 


'• the Periods " On or About 


"the Periods.' 


On or About 


Mar. 4 .. 


. Dec. 12 


April 22 . 




. Jan. 30 


5 . 




^^ 13 


23 . 




'^ 31 


6 . 




'' 14 


24 . 




. Feb. 1 


7 . 




" 15 


25 . 




" 2 


8 . 




^' 16 


'' 26 . 




'' 3 


9 . 




*' 17 


27 . 




'' 4 


10 . 




*' 18 


28 . 




'' 5 


11 . 




'' 19 


29 . 




'' 6 


12 . 




'' 20 


30 . 




-' 7 


13 . 




'^ 21 


May 1 . 




'' 8 


14 . 




'' 22 


2 vf 




^' 9 


^' 15 . 




" 23 


3 . 




'' 10 


16 . 




'' 24 


4 . 




'' 11 


17 . 




*^ 25 


5 . 




'' 12 


18 . 




'' 26 


6 . 




'' 13 


19 . 




'^ 27 


7 . 




'' 14 


20 . 




'' 28 


8 .. 




. *^ 15 


21 . 




'' 29 


9 .. 




^^ 16 


22 . 




'' 30 


10 .. 




'' 17 


23 . 




'' 31 


11 .. 




'' 18 


24 . 




. Jan. 1 


12 .. 




*' 19 


'^ 25 . 




^' 2 


13 .. 




*^ 20 


26 . 




'' 3 


14 .. 




'' 21 


27 . 




. '' 4 


15 .. 




*^ 22 


28 . 




'' 5 


16 .. 




** 23 


29 . 




. '' 6 


17 .. 




*^ 24 


30 . 




'' 7 


18 .. 




** 25 


31 . 




'' 8 


19 .. 




" 26 


April 1 . 




'' 9 


20 . . 




'' 27 


- 2 . 




** 10 


21 . . 




*^ 28 


3 . 




'' 11 


22 .. 




. Mar. 1 


4 .. 




*' 12 


23 . . 




'' 2 


5 . 




'' 13 


24 . . 




'' 3 


6 . 




'* 14 


25 .. 




" 4 


7 .. 




" 15 


26 .. 




'' 5 


8 . 




^' 16 


27 . . 




** 6 


9 . 




'' 17 


^' 28 .. 




*^ 7 


10 . 




^^ 18 


29 . . 




*^ 8 


11 . 




^* 19 


30 .. 




'* 9 


12 . 




'' 20 


31 .. 




'' 10 


13 . 




'' 21 


June 1 . 




*' 11 


14 . 




'' 22 


2 .. 




*^ 12 


15 . 




*^ 23 


3 .. 




'' 13 


16 . 




'^ 24 


4 .. 




^^ 14 


17 . 




'' 25 


5 .. 




'^ 15 


18 . 




*^ 26 


6 .. 




'' 16 


19 . 




" 27 


7 .. 




^' 17 


20 . 




. ^^28 


8 .. 




'' 18 


21 . 




'' 29 


9 ., 




'' 19 



322 



ADVICE TO A WIFE. 



July 



Last Day of 
" the Periods.' 

June 10 . 

11 . 

12 . 

13 . 

14 . 

15 . 

16 . 

17 . 

18 . 

19 . 

20 . 

21 . 

22 . 

23 . 

24 . 

25 . 

26 . 

27 . 

28 . 

29 . 

30 . 

1 . 

2 . 

3 . 

4 . 

5 . 

6 . 

7 . 

8 . 

9 . 

10 . 

11 . 

12 . 

13 . 

14 . 

15 . 

16 . 

17 . 

18 . 

19 . 

20 . 

21 . 

22 . 

23 . 

24 . 

25 . 

26 . 

27 . 

28 . 



Ap: 



Labor 
On or About 

Mar. 20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

il 1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

May 1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 



Last Day of 




Labor 


" the Periods/' On or About 


July 29 .. 


. May 8 


30 . 




- 9 


31 . 




** 10 


Aug. 1 . 




** 11 


2 . 




** 12 


3 . 




'' 13 


4 . 




*^ 14 


5 . 




'* 15 


6 . 




*^ 16 


7 . 




'' 17 


8 . 




** 18 


9 . 




** 19 


10 . 




** 20 


11 . 




** 21 


12 . 




*^ 22 


13 . 




** 23 


14 . 




** 24 


15 . 




** 25 


16 . 




** 26 


17 . 




*' 27 


18 .. 




*' 28 


19 .. 




" 29 


20 .. 




** 30 


21 .. 




** 31 


22 . . 




. June 1 


23 .. 




'' 2 


24 . . 




'' 3 


25 .. 




'' 4 


26 . . 




. " 5 


27 . . 




** 6 


28 .. 




'' 7 


29 .. 




** 8 


30 . . 




** 9 


31 .. 




" ^^ » 


Sept. 1 . . 




- 12 • 1 


- 2 .. 




3 .. 




*' 13 


4 .. 




" 14 


5 .. 




'' 15 j| 
- 16*1 


6 .. 




7 .. 




** 17 


8 .. 




'' 18 


9 .. 




'' 19 


10 .. 




'' 20 


11 .. 




** 21 


12 .. 




** 22 


13 .. 




** 23 


14 .. 




*^ 24 


15 .. 




** 25 



PREGXANCY. — A PREGXANCY TABLE. 



233 



Last Day of 
"the Periods. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
1 
2 
3 



Labor 
On or About 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

July 1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

Aug. 1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 
11 
12 
13 



Last Day of 
"the Periods.' 



Nov. 



Dec. 



9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 



Labor 
On or About 

Aug. 14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

Sept. 1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
Oct. 1 



224 



ADVICE TO A WIFE. 



Last Day of 
"the Periods.' 



Dec. 



23 

24 
25 
26 

27 





Labor 


1 


On 


or About 




Oct. 


2 




(( 


3 






4 
5 




(( 


6 



Last Day of 
" the Periods.'' 



Dec. 



28 
29 
30 
31 



Labor 
On or About 

.. Oct. 7 

*' a 

*^ 9 

^* 10 



559. I may, in passing, just point out the great 
importance of a wife making, every time, a note of 
the last clay of her ^^ periods ; '^ the doing so would 
save her a great deal of inconvenience, uncertainty, 
and anxiety. 

560. Although women may go 280 days, many 
reach only 275 ; our Lord Jesus Christ, as recorded 
in the New Testament, was carried in the womb of 
his mother for a space of 275 days only — ^^ counting 
from the Festival of the Annunciation, in the month 
of March, to tlie day of the blessed Nativity, which 
we celebrate in December, making a period of 275.^^ 

561. Although it be possible for a woman to carry 
her babe forty-five weeks ; that is to say, five weeks 
past the allotted time of forty weeks ; it is also pos- 
sible for a lady to carry her child 07ily twenty-eight 
weeks, and yet to have a living infant, and an infant 
to live ; I myself have had such a case.* I have an- 
other case, similar to the one recorded by Shakspeare, 
where the child was born alive '^^fuU fourteen weeks 
before the course of time,^^ where the child was car- 
ried in the mother^s womb only twenty-six weeks. 
The child in question lived for six weeks, and then 
died. It might be asked why quote Shakspeare on 
such a subject ? I reply, — Shakspeare was a true 



* The little girl in question, in her eighth year, was brought 
to my rooms. She was, for her age, of the average size, 
and a well-grown, handsome, healthy child. 



PKEGXAXCY. — BEIXG OUT IX THE KECKOXIXG. 225 

philosopher^ and a shrewd observer of Xature and of 
Nature's laws. Shakspeare's statement runs thus — 

*' He came into the world 
Full fourteen weeks before the course of time." 

BEING OUT IN THE RECKONING. 

562. A lady sometimes, by becoming pregnant 
whilst she is suckling, is put out of her reckoning ; 
not being unwell at such a time, she consequently 
does not know how to ^"^ count. ^^ She ought, in a 
case of this kind, to reckon from the time that she 
^^ quiclcens,'^ That is to say, she must then consider 
herself nearly half gone in her pregnancy, and to be 
within a fortnight of half her time ; or, to speak 
more accurately, as soon as she quickened, we have 
reason to believe that she has gone about one hundred 
and twenty-four days : she has therefore about one 
hundred and fifty-six more days to complete the period 
of her pregnancy. Suppose, for instance, that she 
first quickened on May the Ivth, she may expect to 
be confined somewhere near October the 23d. She 
must bear in mind, however, that she can never make 
so correct a ^^ count ^^ from quickening (quickening 
taking place at such various periods) as from the last 
day of her ^^periods.^^ 

563. A lady is occasionally thrown out of her reck- 
oning by the appearance, the first month after she is 
enceinte, of a little ^^ show.^^ This discharge does not 
come from the womb, as that organ is hermetically 
sealed ; but from the upper part of the vagina — the 
passage to the womb — and from the mouth of the 
womb, and may be know^n from the regular menstrual 
fluid by its being much smaller in quantity, by its 

IS 



226 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

clotting, and by its lasting generally but a few hours. 
This discharge, therefore, ought not to be reck- 
oned in the ^^count/^ but the ^^ period ^^ before must 
be the guide, and the plan should be adopted as pre- 
viously recommended. 

**WILL THE BABE BE A BOY OR A GIRL?" 

564. It has frequently been asked, '^ Can a medi- 
cal man tell, before the child is born, whether it will 
be a boy or a girl ? '' Dr. F. J. W. Packman, of Wim- 
born, answers in the affirmative. " Queen bees lay 
female eggs first, and male eggs afterwards. In the 
human female, conception in the first half of the time 
between menstrual periods produces female offspring, 
and male the latter. When a female has gone beyond 
the time she calcuated upon, it will generally turn 
out to be a boy.^^ — Braiih waiters Retrospect, It was 
well to say generally y as the above remarks, as I have 
had cases to prove, are not, invar iahly to be depended 
upon. I believe, notwithstanding, that there is a 
good deal of truth in Dr. Packman's statement. 

565. ^^ There is some fair evidence that the sex of 
the child may be diagnosed by the rapidity of the 
pulse. The result of observation has shown that the 
pulse of the female is quicker than that of the male, 
the ratio being as 140 to 130 per minute. This may 
probably be due to the fact that male children are 
generally larger than female." — Dr. Meadoivs' Mid- 
wifery, 4th edition. I have made this quotation, as 
the matter of ascertaining the sex of the unborn 
child is sometimes important for family reasons, and 
to the attending doctor ; especially to the latter in a 
first pregnancy. If the indication — which is obtained 
by auscultating the abdomen, and so hearing the beats 



PREGi^Ai^CY. — A BOY OR A GIRL ? 227 

of the child^s heart — be that the child is a boj% it is 
sure to be a large child ; the medical attendant can 
make his arrangements accordingly, and be prepared 
to assist Xature if required. 

566. Some wiseacres of nurses profess themselves 
to be very clever in foretelling whether it will be a boy 
or girl some months before the babe is born. They 
base their prognostications on some such grounds as 
these, namely : — On the way a lady carries her child 
whether she carry her burden high or low ; whether 
she be large or small ; whether she be larger on the 
right side than on the left side of the abdomen, or vice 
versa j whether she be pale and sickly countenanced, 
or of a good color and healthy-looking ; whether she 
have been troubled much with heartburn ; whether she 
be having a sick pregnancy ; and during the childbirth 
whether she be having a back or an abdominal labor; 
whether the confinement is progressing quickly or 
tediously. Xow, I need scarcely say that all these 
prognostications are utter guesswork — the coinage 
of a distempered brain : but as the number of boys 
and of girls born in England are pretty equal, they 
are as likely to be right as wrong I If they should 
happen to be right, they do not forget to tell of it ; 
but if wrong, they allow their prognostications to die 
in oblivion I If a little more common-sense were, at 
these times, observed, patients would not be likely to 
be gulled by such folly, nor to be carried away by 
'^ old wives^ cunningly-devised fables.'^ As a sample 
of such fictions, the following choice morsel, from a 
book published in London in 1604, may be quoted : 
*^ Item, if it be a male, then shall the woman with 
child be well-colored and light in going, her belly 
round, bigger towards the right side than the left 



328 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

(for commonly the man child lyeth in the right side, 
the woman in the left side)^ and in the time of her 
bearing she shall better digest and like her meat." — 
The Birthe of Mankind^ otherivise 7iamed the JVoman's 
Boohe. 

567. There are, in England^ more boys than girls 
born — that is to say^ for every 100 girls there are 105 
boys. It is a curious fact — proving how definite the 
laws of Nature are — how closely the different censuses 
proclaim and verify this statement : — ^' For genera- 
tions together it had been debated whether the births 
of boys or girls were the more numerous, and the dis- 
pute, conducted on metaphysical or physiological 
probabilities, seemed as if it would never have an end. 
By the statistics of one census after another we have 
learned the proportions exactly, and the result is re- 
markable, as answering closely to the exigencies of 
life. The proportions of boys to girls is 105 to 100, 
but the greater dangers to which the male sex is ex- 
posed increase its share of mortality, so that as the 
years of any particular generation go on the numbers 
are first equalized, and in the end turned the other 
way. More men than women, in short, are required, 
and more boys are born than girls." — The Times. 

THE MONTHLY NURSE. 

568. It is an important, a most important consid- 
eration, to choose a nurse rightly and well : the 
well-doing of both mother and babe often depend 
upon a right selection. 

569. A good nurse, to be such, must have first 
been taught how to nurse. Unless she has had a 
regular training, how can she be proficient ? You 
may as well expect a lady, who has never learned to 



PREGXANCY. — THE MONTHLY ]S"URSE. 229 

play the piano^ to sit clown and '^'^ discourse sweet 
music/^ One is quite as absurd as the other. Yet how 
many women have the assurance to turn nurses who 
are as ignorant of the duties of a nurse as the unborn 
babe ? It is sad that there are not in every large 
town more proper training establishments both for 
monthly and for sick nurses. The one should be 
perfectly distinct from the other. If they be not, 
infectious diseases will be carried to the lying-in pa- 
tient, a terrible misfortune, which will result in much 
suffering and misery, and even, in some cases, in fatal 
consequences. A nurse, for instance, who has just 
before attended a patient with scarlet fever, or ery- 
sipelas, will most probably carry to the lying-in room 
disease and even death. Let a child-bed patient, 
therefore, have nothing whatever to do with a nurse 
who follows the double calling of sick and of monthly 
nurse. 

570. Miss Florence Nightingale has proved the 
great need there is for trained nurses, and has done 
more than ever had been done before to increase their 
eflBciency. 

571. A monthly nurse ought to be of a sensible 
age. If she be young, she is apt to be thoughtless 
and giggling ; if she be old, she may be deaf and 
stupid, and may think too much of her trouble. She 
must have calmness and self-possession. She must 
be gentle, kind, good-tempered, and obliging, but 
firm withal, and she should have a cheerful counte- 
nance. '' Some seem by nature to have a vocation for 
nursing ; others not. Again, nursing has its separate 
branches ; some have the light step, the pleasant 
voice, the cheering smile, the dexterous hand, the 
gentle touch ; others are gifted in cookery for the 



230 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

sick/^* The former good qualities are essential to a 
monthly nurse^ and if she can combine the latter — 
that is to say, ^^ if she is gifted in cookery for the 
sick " — she will, as a monthly nurse, be invaluable. 
Unless a woman have the gift of nursing she will 
never make a nurse. '' Dr. Tliyne held that sick 
nurses, like poets, were born, not made/^'t 

572. Some monthly nurses are in the habit of con- 
cocting hurtful compounds, and of giving them at all 
hours of the day and night to their unfortunate pa- 
tients, regardless of their appetites, their feelings, 
and wishes ; they sometimes even rouse them from 
their slumbers to give them trashy messes. Now, all 
this is foolishness in the extreme, and tells us plainly 
that such persons are utterly ignorant, and quite un- 
fitted for the duties of monthly nurses. No woman, 
be she in health, in illness, or in her confinement, 
unless she be hungry, should be compelled to eat ; 
the food will not strengthen, but will, on the con- 
trary, weaken her, and will sadly disorder both her 
stomach and her breast-milk. The stomach, in the 
night season, requires rest as much as, or more than, 
any other part of the body, and will not then bear the 
disturbance of food. Besides, sleep in the night 
ought to be far more nourishing and strengthening 
than any food whatever. A monthly nurse requires 
in this, as in everything else, common-sense to guide 
her, and with that she cannot go far wrong. She 
will then see the folly of uselessly disturbing her 
patient from her sleep to give her food — undisturbed 
sleep being far more important to the reparation and 



* Belforest. A Tale of English Country Life. 
t Not Proven. London ; Hurst & Blackett. 



PREGXAXCY. — THE MONTHLY NURSE. 231 

restoration of health than aught else^ and everything 
else, besides. 

573. She ought not to be a tattler, or a tale-bearer, 
or a ^^ croaker/^ or a ^^ potterer.^^ A tattler is an 
abomination : a clacking tongue is most wearisome 
and injurious to the patient. A tale-bearer is to be 
especially avoided : if she tell tales of her former 
ladies, my fair reader may depend upon it that her 
turn will come.* There is an old and a true saying, 
that a monthly nurse ought never, when she leaves 
her last situation, ^^to leave the door open I^^ That 
is to say, she ought never to babble about the secrets 
of the family she has nursed — they should be as in- 
violate to her as are the secrets intrusted to a doctor 
by his patient, or to a lawyer by his client. Have 
nothing, then, to do with a gossijJ of a nurse ; one 
who knows everything of everybody — more than they 
know of themselves : she is a giost dangerous person 
to have about you. Shenstone paints a capital pic- 
ture of a tattling, scandal-mongering, gossipping 
nurse — 

" See now ! she's bursting with a vague report, 
Made by the washerwoman or old nurse, 
Time out of mind the viUage chronicle : 
And with this news she gads from house to house, 
Racking her brains to coin some wonderful 
Astounding story out of nothing, and thus 
To sow the seeds of discord and of strife, 
To soil the snow-white robe of innocence. 
To blacken worth and virtue, and to set 
The neighborhood together by the ears." 

574. But of all nurses to be shunned, as the plague, 
is the ^' croaker, ^^ one that discourses of the dismal 



' He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets." 



232 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

and of the dreadful cases that have occurred in her 
experience^ of many of which^ in all probability, she 
was herself the cause. She is a very upas tree in a 
house. A ^' potterer '' should be banished from the 
lying-in room : she is a perpetual worry — a perpetual 
blister ! She is a nurse without method, without 
system, and without smartness. She potters at this, 
and potters at that, and worries the patient beyond 
measure. She dreams, and drawls, and ^^ potters. ^^ 
It is better to have a brusque and noisy nurse than a 
pottering one — the latter individual is far more irri- 
tating to the patient^s nerves, and is aggravating be- 
yond endurance. ^^ There is one kind of nurse that 
is not uncommon in hospitals [and in lying-in rooms], 
and that gives more trouble and worry than all the 
others together, viz., the ^ pottering^ nurse. Of all 
nuisances, defend us from a potterer. . . . The wo- 
man always has the very best intentions in the world, 
but is totally devoid of method and smartness. You 
never know when she has begun anything, and you 
certainly will never know when she has finished it. 
She never does finish it, but she sometimes leaves off. 
. . . She seems incapable of taking in a complete 
and accurate idea of anything, and even while you 
are speaking to her it is easy to see that her attention 
cannot be concentrated, and that her mind is flying 
about among half a dozen subjects. If she is in the 
least hurried, she loses what little intellect she ordi- 
narily possesses, moans feebly in a sotto voce mono- 
tone, fetches the wrong articles, does the wrong 
thing at the wrong time, and is always in the way.^^ * 



* The Rev. J. G. Wood's Duties of the Hospital Chaplain, 
in the Churchman'' s Family Magazine, 



PREGXAXCY. — THE MOXTHLY XURSE. 233 

5T5. Some monthly nurses have a knack of setting 
the servants at loggerheads^ and of poisoning the 
minds of their mistresses against them. They are 
regular mischief-makers^ and frequently cause old 
and faithful domestics to leave their situations. It 
will be seen^ therefore^ that it is a momentous under- 
taking to choose a monthly nurse rightly and well. 

576. The class of nurses is^ fortunately for ladies, 
wonderfully improved, and the race of Sairey Gamp 
and Betsy Prig is nearly at an end. Drunkenness 
among midwives and monthly nurses is now the ex- 
ception, and not the rule ; they were, in olden times, 
a sadly drunken lot — they imbibed largely of aqua- 
vitae (brandy) : Shakspeare, in one of his plays, no- 
tices it thus — 



Like 



'* Does it work upon him 
aqua-vitae with a midwife ? " 



577. She ought to be either a married woman or a 
widow. A single w^oman cannot so well enter into 
the feelings of a lying-in patient, and has not had the 
necessary experience. Moreover a single woman, as 
a rule, is not so handy with an infant (more especially 
in putting him for the first time to the breast) as is a 
married woman. 

578. She must be sober, temperate, and healthy, 
and free from deafness and from any defect of vision. 
She should have a gentle manner, but yet be neither 
melancholy nor nippish. She ought to have ''^the 
softest step and gentlest tone ; '' a heavy tread and 
harsh loud voice are, especially in a lying-in room, 
most discordant and quite out of place. Some nurses 
have a voice like a railway whistle, shrill and pierc- 
ing ; others have voices like a cart-w^heel requiring 



234 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

greasing, and almost set one^s teeth on edge ! She 
ought to be fond of children, and must neither mind 
her trouble nor at being disturbed at night. She 
should be alight sleeper. A heavy sleeper — a nurse 
that snores in her sleep — is very objectionable ; she 
often keeps the patient — more especially if she be 
easily disturbed — awake : and sleep is to a lying-in 
woman priceless — 

"The nurse sleeps sweetly, hired to watch the sick, 
Whom snoring she disturbs." — Cowper, 

579. ^' Scrupulous attention to cleanliness, fresh- 
ness, and neatness ^^ in her own person, and towards 
the lady and the infant, are most important requi- 
sites. 

580. A fat dumpling of a nurse — and some monthly 
nurses are as fat as butter, their occupation tends to 
make them so — ought not to be chosen, as she can 
make no proper lap for her little charge. Besides, 
very fat people are usually heavy sleepers, and snore 
in their sleep, and are difficult, when duty calls them 
to action, to rouse from their slumbers. Moreover, 
a snoring nurse, as far as the lying-in woman is con- 
cerned — 

** Does murder sleep." — ShaJcspeare. 

581. In choosing a monthly nurse, select one who 
has a bright sunshiny countenance ; have nothing to 
do with a crab-vinegar-faced individual, more especi- 
ally if she has a red spot on a wrong place of her face, 
namely, on the tip of the nose, instead of on her 
cheeks : such a one is, in all probability, not only of 
a cross-grained temper, but she is one that, most 
likely, drinks something stronger and more spirituous 
than water, and more potent and heady than — 



PREGXAXCY. — THE MONTHLY XURSE. 235 

" The cups 
That cheer but not inebriate." — Cowper. 

582. A fine-lady nurse that requires to be con- 
stantly waited upon by a servant is not the one that 
I would recommend. A nurse should be willing to 
wait upon herself^ upon her mistress^ and upon the 
baby, with alacrity, with cheerfulness, and without 
assistance, or she is not suitable for her situation. 

583. As the nurse, if she does her duty, devotes 
her time, her talent, and her best energies to the lady 
and to the infant, a mistress ought to be most liberal 
in the payment of a monthly nurse. A good one is 
cheap at almost any price ; while a bad one, though 
she comes for nothing, is dear indeed. A cheap 
nurse is frequently the ruin of the patient^s and of 
the baby's health, and of the peace of the household. 

584. The monthly nurse ought to be engaged early 
in the pregnancy, as a good nurse is caught up soon, 
and is full of engagements. This is most important 
advice. A lady has frequently to put up with an in- 
different nurse from neglecting to engage her betimes. 
The medical man at the eleventh hour is frequently 
besought to perform an impossibility, to select a good 
nurse, which he could readily have done if time had 
been given to him to make the selection. Some of 
my best nurses are engaged by my patients as early 
as two or three months after they have conceived, in 
order to make sure of having their favorite nurses. 
My patients are quite right ; a good nurse is quite of 
as much importance to their well-doing as a good 
doctor. Indeed, a bad nurse oftentimes makes a 
good doctor's efforts perfectly nugatory. 

585. It is always desirable, whenever it be possible, 
that the doctor in attendance should himself select 



236 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

the monthly niirse^ as she will then be used to his 
ways, and he will know her antecedents — whether she 
be sober, temperate, and kind^ and understands her 
business, and whether she be in the habit of attend- 
ing and of following out his directions, for frequently 
a nurse is self-opinionated, and fancies that she 
knows far better than the medical man. Such a nurse 
is to be scrupulously avoided. There cannot be two 
masters in a lying-in room ; if there be, the unfortu- 
nate patient will inevitably be the sufferer. A doctor^s 
directions must be carried out to the very letter. It 
rests with the patient to select a judicious medical 
man, who, although he will be obeyed, will be kind 
and considerate to the nurse. 

586. A monthly nurse ought to be in a house for 
a week or ten days before the commencement of the 
labor, in order that there may be neither bustle nor 
excitement, and no hurrying to and fro at the last 
moment to find her ; and that she may have every- 
thing prepared, and the linen w^ell aired for the com- 
ing event. 

587. She must never be allowed, unless ordered by 
the medical man, to give either the patient or the 
babe a particle of medicine. A quacking monthly 
nurse is a dangerous person. An infant who is al- 
ways being drugged by a nurse is sure to be puny 
and ailing. 

588. A monthly nurse ought to understand the 
manner of putting on and of tightening the bandage 
after a confinement : the latter she must do every 
night and morning, and at other times if necessary. 
The doctor generally does it the first time himself, 
viz., immediately after the labor. It requires a little 
knack, and if the nurse be at all awkward in the 



PREGlS^Ai^CY. — THE MOIS'THLY ISTURSE. 237 

matter, the medical man will be only too hap23y to 
show her the way, for he is quite aware of the support, 
the comfort, and the advantage it will be to his pa- 
tient, and he will be glad to know that the nurse 
herself will be able to continue putting it on properly 
for some weeks until she can wear a proper abdominal 
belt. 

589. If nurses better understood the right method 
of bandaging patients after their labors, there 
would not be so many ladies with pendulous abdo- 
mens and ungainly figures. It is a common remark 
that a lady^s figure is spoiled in consequence of her 
having had so many children. This would not have 
occurred, provided efficient bandaging had been re- 
sorted to after every confinement. But then, if a 
monthly nurse is to do these things properly, she 
must have been efficiently trained. Many of them 
have had little or no training. Hence the import- 
auce of choosing one who thoroughly knows and will 
conscientiously do her duty. 

590. A monthly nurse who understands her busi- 
ness will always have the lying-in room tidy, cheerful, 
and well-ventilated. She will not allow dirty linen 
to accumulate in the drawers, in corners, and under 
the bed ; nor will she allow any chamber utensil to 
remain for one moment in the room after it has been 
used. If it be winter, she will take care that the fire 
in the grate never goes out, and that it is not very 
large, and that the room is kept as nearly as possible 
at one temperature — namely, at 60° Fahrenheit. 
She will use her authority as a nurse, and keep the 
family from frequently running into the room, and 
from exciting and disturbing her patient ; and she 
will make a point of taking charge of the babe, and 



238 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

of keeping him quiet while the mother, during the 
day, is having her needful sleep. 

591. A good monthly nurse fully comprehends and 
thoroughly appreciates the importance of bathing the 
external parts concerned in parturition every night 
and morning, and sometimes even oftener, for at least 
two or three weeks after childbirth. And, if the 
medical man deem it necessary, she ought to under- 
stand the proper use of a vaginal syringe. If the 
nurse be self-opinionated, and tries to persuade her pa- 
tient not to have proper ablution — that such ablution 
will give cold — she is both ignorant and prejudiced, 
and quite unfitted for a monthly nurse ; and my 
advice is, that a lady should on no account engage 
such a person a second time. 

592. I need not now — as in another part of this 
work I have entered so fully on the vital importance 
of ablution after childbirth — say more than again to 
urge my fair reader to see that the monthly nurse 
properly carries it out, and that if there be any ob- 
jections made to it by the nurse, the medical man be 
applied to in the matter, and that his judgment be 
final. Assured I am, that every doctor who under- 
stands his profession will agree with me, that the reg- 
ular ablutions of the parts after a labor is absolutely 
indispensable. The nurse, of course, will take care 
to guard the bed from being wet, and will not expose 
the patient unnecessarily during the process ; she will 
be quick over it, and she will have in readiness soft, 
warm, dry towels to speedily dry the parts that have 
been bathed. The above is most important advice, 
and I hope that my fair inquirer will engage a 
monthly nurse that will do her duty in the matter. 

593. Before concluding a list of some of the duties 



PREGN^AXCY. — THE MONTHLY XURSE. 23^ 

of a monthly nurse^ there are six more items of ad- 
vice I wish to give both to a wife and to a monthly 
nurse herself, which are these : — (1) Never to allow a 
nurse, until she be ordered by the doctor, to give any 
stimulant whatever to the patient. (2) I should rec- 
ommend every monthly nurse to carry about with 
her an indiarubber vaginal syringe. The best for 
the purpose are those which are constructed to act 
either as an enema apparatus, or, by placing the vag- 
inal pipe over the enema pipe, as a vaginal syringe. 
She will thus be armed at all points, and will be 
ready for any emergency. It is, however, of vital 
importance that the apparatus should be kept scru- 
pulously clean. It should be thoroughly washed out 
and the tubes well cleansed every time after use, in a 
solution of one in sixty of carbolic acid. It should 
only be used for one person, and never be used for 
more. Many sad cases have occurred where an appa- 
ratus has been applied to several persons — infection 
and disease having thus been propagated. (3) I 
should advise a nurse never to quack either the 
mother or the babe. A quacking nurse is a dangerous 
individual. The only person that should prescribe for 
either mother or babe is the medical man himself. A 
good nurse would never dare to do so, or to anticipate 
a doctor's treatment. She should remember that he 
is the one to give orders, as he, in the lying-in room, is 
the commander-in-chief, and must be obeyed. (4) A 
monthly nurse ought to make a point of never reveal- 
ing the private concerns of her former patients. It 
would be a great breach of confidence for her to do 
so. (5)1 should advise a monthly nurse, if her lying- 
in patient's head should ache and she cannot sleep, 
and it should be in winter-time, to feed the bedroom 



240 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

fire with her hands covered with gloves^ or to have 
the coals put into paper bags. > The clatter of fire- 
irons is often an effectual method of banishing sleep 
altogether, and of increasing a headache. This ad- 
vice may appear trivial, but it is really important. I 
have known patients disturbed out of a beautiful sleep 
by the feeding of the fire, and it is therefore well to 
guard against such a contingency — sleep after labor 
being most soothing, refreshing, and strengthening 
to the patient. Sleep, although easily scared and put 
to flight, is sometimes difficult to woo and to win. 
(6) I should recommend every monthly nurse, while 
waiting upon her patient, to wear either list slippers 
or the rubber slippers, as creaking shoes are very ir- 
ritating to a i)atient. While speaking on the duties 
of a monthly nurse, there is one reprehensible i)rac- 
tice of some few of them I wish to denounce, which 
is this : — A nurse declaring at each pain, when it 
will probably be two or three hours before the labor 
is over, that two or three pains will be all that are 
needed ! Now, this is folly, it is most disheartening, 
and makes the patient impatient, and to believe in 
bitterness of spirit that ^' all men,^^ and women, too, 
'^ are liars. ^^ A nurse should take her cue from the 
doctor, and if he should happen to be a sensible man, 
he will tell his patient the truth, and express an opin- 
ion how long it will be before she is likely to be de- 
livered. Truth in this, as in everything else, is the 
safest and the best policy. 

594. A lady may, perhaps, say, ^^ You want a 
nurse to be perfection ?" Well, I do ; a nurse ought 
to be as near perfection as poor human nature will 
allow. None but good women and true should enter 
the ranks of nurses ; for their responsibility is great, 



M 



PREGNAJq"CY. — CONCLUDING REMARKS. 241 

and their power of doing good or evil is enormous. 
Hence good nurses are prizes^ and should be paid 
most liberally. 

595. The selection of a nurse is^ for the well-being 
both of mother and of babe^ quite as important as is 
the choice of a doctor. Mother and babe are thor- 
oughly dependent upon her for the airing of clothes, 
for due but careful ablution^ and for other most im- 
portant services. 

596. I hope, then^ I have said enough — I am quite 
sure that I have not said one word too much — on the 
care required in the selection of a monthly nurse. 
It is impossible, when such vital interests are at stake, 
to be too particular, or to overstate the importance 
of the subject. 



CONCLUDING REMAEKS ON PREGNANCY. 

597. The premonitory symptoms of labor having 
commenced ; everything being in readiness for the 
coming -event — clothes, sheets, flannels, diapers, all 
well aired, everything in order, so that each and all 
may, even in the dark, at a mementos notice, be 
found ; the bedroom well ventilated ; the nurse 
being in the house ; the doctor notified that he may 
be wanted — all the patient has to do is to keep up 
her spirits, and to look forward with confidence and 
hope to that auspicious moment which has been long- 
expected, and which is now about to arrive, when she 
will become a mother I An event — the birth of her 
child, ushered as he will be into the world with a cry 
(oh, joyful sound I) which she will realize as the hap- 
piest moment of her existence. She will then be 
amply repaid for all her cares, all her anxiety, and all 
i6 



242 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

her anguish. ^^A woman when she is in travail 
hath sorrow because her hour is come ; but as soon 
as she is delivered of the child^ she remembereth no 
more the anguish^ for joy that a man is born into 
the world.'' — St, John. 

598. A wife is now about to assume an additional 
and higher title than that of Wife, namely, that of 
Mother, 



PART m. 



LABOE. 



All women laboring of child, — The Litany. 
Time of her travail. — Genesis. 
The child was prisoner to the womb; and is 
By love and process of great nature, thence 
Freed and enfranchised. — Shakspeare. 



ON A FIRST LABOR. 

599. As the first labor is^ of all subsequent labors, 
generally the most tedious and the most severe, it 
behooves a newly-married woman to "^^ hearken unto 
counsel/'' and thus to prepare for the coming event. 

600. Strict observance of the advice contained in 
these pages will often make a first labor as easy and 
as expeditious as an after labor. 

601. But observance of the counsel herein con- 
tained must be adopted, not only during pregnancy, 
but likewise during the whole period — from the very 
commencement — of wifehood. 

THE PRECURSORY SYMPTOMS OF LABOR. 

602. A day or two before the labor commences the 

243 



244 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

patient usually feels better than she has done for a 
long time ; she is light and comfortable ; she is 
smaller^ and the child is lower down ; she is more 
cheerful^ breathes more freely, and is more inclined 
to take exercise^ and to attend to her household 
duties. She has often an inclination to tidy her 
drawers, and to look up and have in readiness her 
own linen, and the baby^s clothes, and the other 
requisites for the long-expected event. She seems 
to have a presentiment that labor is approaching, 
and she has the feeling that now is the right time to 
get everything in readiness, as, in a short time, she 
will be powerless to exert herself. 

603. Although the majority of patients, a day or 
two before the labor comes on, are more bright and 
cheerful, some few are more anxious, fanciful, fidg- 
ety, and restless. 

604. A few days, sometimes a few hours, before 
labor commences, the child ^^ falls," as it is called; 
that is to say, there is a siiisidence — a di^opping — of 
the toomh lower down the abdomen. This is the rea- 
son why she feels lighter and more comfortable, and 
more inclined to take exercise, and why she can 
breathe more freely. It is at this time that the bowels 
frequently act, and thus make more room for the 
passage of the child. If they do not do so naturally, 
now is the time for the nurse to empty the lower 
bowel by enemata or by purgatives administered by 
the mouth. A woman should always go into labor 
with the bowels emptied. 

605. The only inconvenience of the dropping of the 
worn!) is, that the womb presses more on the bladder, 
and sometimes causes an irritability of that organ, 
inducing a frequent desire to make water. The 



LABOR. — THE PRECURSORY SYMPTOMS. 245 

wearing tlie obstetric belt^ as so particularly enjoined 
in previous pages, will greatly mitigate this incon- 
venience. 

606. The subsidence — the droiyping — of the womi 
may then be considered one of the earliest of the 
precursory symijtoms of childbirth, and as the herald 
of the coming event. 

607. She has, at this time, an increased moisture 
of the vagina — the passage leading to the womb — 
and of the external parts. She has, at length, slight 
pains, and then she has a ^^show," as it is called : 
which is the coming away of a mucous plug, w^hich dur- 
ing pregnancy, had hermetically sealed up the mouth 
of the womb. The '^ show '^ is generally tinged with a 
little blood. When a ^"^show^^ takes jDlace, she may 
rest assured that labor has actually commenced. 
One of the early symptoms of labor is a frequent de- 
sire to relieve the bladder. 

608. She has now '' grinding i^ains, ^^ Qommg on 
at uncertain periods ; sometimes once during two 
hours, at other times every hour or half-hour. 
These '^ grinding pains ^^ ought not to be interfered 
with ; at this stage, therefore, it is useless to send 
for a doctor ; yet the monthly nurse should be in the 
house, to make preparations for the coming event. 
Although at this early period it is not necessary to 
send for the medical man ; nevertheless, it will be 
well to let him know that his services may shortly be 
required, in order that he may be in the way, or that 
he may leave word where he may quickly be found. 

609. These ^''grinding pains ^^ gradually assume 
more regularity in their character, return at shorter 
intervals, and become more severe. 

610. About this time, shivering, in the majority 



346 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

of cases, is apt to occur, so as to make the teeth 
chatter again. Shivering during labor is not an un- 
favorable symptom ; it proves, indeed, that the 
patient is in real earnest, and that she is making 
progress. 

611. Although the patient shivers and trembles 
until, in some instances, the bed shakes under her, 
it is unaccompanied with real coldness of the skin ; 
she shivers and feels cold, but her skin in reality is 
not at all cold, but is hot and perspiring — perspiring 
at every pore ! 

612. She ought not, on any account, unless it be 
ordered by the medical man, to take any stimulant as 
a remedy for the shivering. A cup of liot tea or 
of liot gruel will be the best remedy for the shiver- 
ing ; and an extra blanket or two should be thrown 
over her, and be well tucked around her, in order to 
thoroughly exclude the air from the body. The 
extra clothing, as soon as she is warm and perspiring, 
should be gradually removed, as she ought not to be 
kept very hot, or it will weaken her, and will thus 
retard her labor. 

613. Nausea or sichness frequently comes on in 
the beginning of the labor, and may continue during 
the whole process. There may be not only a feeling 
of sickness, but actual vomiting, so that little or 
nothing can be kept on the stomach. 

614. Now, sickness in labor is rather a favorable 
symptom, and is usually indicative of a kind and 
easy confinement. There is an old saying that ^^ sick 
labors are safe.^' Although they maybe safe, they 
are decidedly disagreeable ! 

615. Sickness during labor does good, it softens 
and dilates the parts concerned in parturition, and 



LABOR. — THE PRECURSORY SYMPTOMS. 247 

shows that the patient is working in downright 
earnest ! 

616. There is^ in such a case, little or nothing to 
be done, as the less an irritable stomach is meddled 
with the better. The sickness will probably leave as 
soon as the labor is over. Stimulants, unless pre- 
scribed by the doctor, ought not to be given. 

617. She must not, on any account, force down — 
as her female friends, or as a '' pottering ^' old nurse 
may advise — to ^^ grinding pains ; " if she do, it will 
rather retard than forward her labor. 

618. During this stage she had better walk about 
or sit down, and not confine herself to bed ; indeed, 
there is no necessity for her, unless she particularly 
desire it, to remain in her chamber. 

619. If, at the commencement of her labor, the 
^^ waters should break,^' even if there be no pain, the 
medical man ought immediately to be sent for ; as in 
such a case it is necessary that he should know the 
exact presentation of the child — that is, the way it is 
coming into the world. 

620. After an uncertain length of time, the pains 
alter in character. From being '' grinding, "" they 
become ^^ bearing down, ^^ and more regular and fre- 
quent, and the skin becomes both hot and perspiring. 
These may be considered the true labor-pains. The 
patient ought to bear in mind then, that the true 
labor-pains are situated in the back and loins ; they 
come on at regular intervals, rise gradually up to a 
certain pitch of intensity, and abate as gradually ; it 
is a dull, heavy, deep sort of pain, producing oc- 
casionally a low moan from the patient ; not sharp or 
twinging, which would elicit a very different expres- 
sion of suffering from her. 



248 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

621. As soon as the pains assume a ^^bearing- 
down ^^ character, the doctor ought to be in attend- 
ance. If he be sent for during the early stage, 
when the pains are of a ^^ grinding ^^ character, and 
when they come on ^^few and far between/^ and at 
uncertain intervals, unless, as before stated, ^^the 
waters ^^ should have broken early, he can do no 
good ; for, if he attempted, in the early stage, to 
force on the labor, he would do irreparable mischief. 

622. Cramp of the legs and thighs is a frequent, 
although not a constant, attendant upon childbirth. 
These cramps come on more especially if the patient 
be kept for a lengthened period in one position ; 
hence the importance of allowing her, during the 
first and second stages of labor, to move about the 
room. Cramps are generally worse during the third 
or last stage of labor, and then, if .they occur at all, 
they usually accompany each pain. The poor pa- 
tient, in such a case, has not only to bear the labor- 
pains but the cramp-pains ! Now, there is no danger 
in these cramps ; it is rather a sign that the child is 
making rapid progress, as he is pressing upon the 
nerves which supply the thighs. The cramps show 
that the child^s head has nearly reached the outlet, 
and so give an index that tlie worst part of the labor 
is nearly over. That is to say, the actual passage of 
the child^s head through the pelvis, or bony canal, 
between the hips, into the world. 

623. The nurse ought to well rub, with her warm 
hand, the cramped parts ; and, if the labor be not 
too far advanced, it would be well for the patient to 
change her position, and to sit on a chair, or, if she 
feel inclined, to walk about the room ; there being, 
of course, an attendant, one on each side to support 



II 



LABOR. — THE PRECURSORY SYMPTOMS. 249 

her the while. If either a pain or a cramp should 
come on while she is thus moving about^ let her 
instantly take hold of the bed-post for support. 
Often by quickly putting the heel of the affected leg 
firmly down on the floor or in the bed, so that the 
thigh and leg should be rigidly straight, the cramp 
will quickly pass off. 

624. Labor — and truly it may be called ^Habor." 
The fiat has gone forth that in ^^ sorrow thou shalt 
bring forth children.'^ Young, in his Night Tlioiights, 
beautifully expresses the common lot of women to 

suffer — 

" Tis the common lot ; 
In this shape, or in that, has fate entailed 
The mother's throes on all of woman born, 
Not more the children than sure heirs of pain." 

Labor is a natural process, and therefore ought not 
unnecessarily to be interfered with, or woe betide the 
unfortunate patient. I firmly believe that a woman 
stands a much better chance of getting well over her 
confinement wWioict assistance than if she be hurried 
with assistance, 

625. In a natural labor very little assistance is 
needed, and the doctor is only required in the room 
occasionally, to ascertain that things are going on 
rightly. Those ladies do best who are the least inter- 
fered with, both at the time and afterwards. Bear 
this in mind, and let it be legibly written on your 
memory. This advice, of course, only holds good in 
natural confinements. 

626. Meddlesome midwifery cannot be too strongly 
reprobated. The duty of a doctor is to watch the 
progress of a childbirth, in order that, if there be 
anything wrong, he may remedy it ; but if the labor 



250 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

be going on well, he has no business to interfere, and 
he need not be much in the lying-in room, although 
he should be in an adjoining apartment. 

637. These remarks are made to set a lady right 
with regard to the proper offices of an accoucheur ; 
as sometimes she has an idea that a medical man is 
able, by constantly ^Haking a pain/^ to greatly expe- 
dite a natural labor. Now, this is a mistaken and 
mischievous, although a popular, notion. The fre- 
quent " taking of a pain ^^ is very injurious and most 
unnatural, it irritates and inflames the passages, 
and frequently retards the delivery. The occasional, 
but only the occasional^ ^* taking of a pain^' is abso- 
lutely necessary to enable a medical man to note the 
state of the parts, and the progress of the labor ; but 
t\\Q frequent '' taking of a pain ^^ is needless and very 
objectionable. 

628. As a rule, then, it is neither necessary nor 
desirable for a medical man to be much in a lying-in 
room. Eeally, in a natural labor, it is surprising 
how very little his presence is required. After he 
has once ascertained the nature of the case, loUicli it 
is absolutely necessary that he should do, and has 
found all going on ^^ right and straight, ^^ it is better, 
much better, that he retire, in the daytime, to the 
drawing-room, in the night season, to a bedroom. 
Thus Nature will have full time and full scope to 
take her own course without hurry and without 
interference, without let and without hindrance. 
Nature hates hurry, and resents interference. For 
many reasons, the above advice is particularly useful. 
In the first place, there is no unnecessary interference 
with Nature. Secondly, it allows a patient, from 
time to time, to empty her bladder and bowels — 



LABOR. — THE PRECURSORY SYMPTOMS. 251 

which, by giving more room to the adjacent j^arts, 
greatly assists and ex2:)edites the progress of the labor. 
Thirdly, if the doctor is not present, he is not called 
upon to be frequently '' taking a pain/^ which she 
may request him to do, as she fancies it does her 
good, and relieves her sufferings : but which frequent 
taking of a pain, in reality, does her harm, and re- 
tards the progress of the labor. No ; a doctor ought 
not to be much in the lying-in room. Although it 
may be necessary that he be near at hand, within 
call, to render assistance towards the last, I emphati- 
cally declare that in an ordinary confinement — that 
is to say, in w^hat is called a natural labor — the only 
time_, as a rule, that the presence of the doctor can 
be useful, h just before the child is born ; although 
he ought to be in readiness, and should therefore be 
in the house some little time before the event takes 
place. Let the above advice be strongly impressed 
upon your memory. If a patient did but know the 
importance of non-interference in an ordinary labor, 
and the blessedness of patience, what benefit would 
accrue from such knowledge — 

' ' What cannot patience do ? 
A great design is seldom snatch'd at once ; 
'Tis patience heaves it on." — Tliomson. 

629. Women are far more patient than men : it is 
well they are ; for men would never be able patiently 
to endure, as women do, the bitter pangs of child- 
birth. Chaucer beautifully describes patience as a 
wif e^s gift, as 

** This flower of wifely patience." 

630. Bear in mind, then, that in every well-formed 
woman, and in every ordinary confinement. Nature 



252 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

is perfectly competent to brings without the assidance 
of man, "^ a child into the world, and that it is only 
an ignorant person who would, in a natural case of 
labor, interfere to assist Nature ! Can anything be 
more absurd ? As though God in His wisdom, in 
performing one of His greatest wonders and processes, 
required the assistance of man. It might with as 
much truth be said that in every case of the process 
of healthy digestion it is necessary for a doctor to as- 
sist the stomach in the process of digesting the food ! 
No, it is high time that such fallacies were exploded, 
and that common sense should take the place of such 
folly. A natural labor then, ought never to be hur- 
ried or interfered with, or frightful consequences 
might, and in all probability would, ensue. Let- , 
every lying-in woman bear in mind that the more 
patient she is, the more kind and the more speedy 
will be her labor and her ^^ getting about. ^^ Let her, 
moreover, remember then, that labor is a natural* 
process — that all the ^^ grinding'^ pains she has are 
doing her good service, are dilating, softening, and 
relaxing the parts, and preparing for the final or 
^^ bearing-down^^ pains : let her further bear in mind 
that these pains 7nust not, on any account lohateveVy 
he interfered ivitli by the doctor, by the nurse, or by 
herself. These pains are sent for a wise purpose, 
and they ought to be borne with patience and resig- 
nation, and she will in due time be rewarded for all 
her sufferings and anxieties by having a living child. 
Oh, how often have I heard an ignorant nurse desire 

"^ ** Through thee have I been hold en up ever since I was 
born : thou art he that took nie out of my mother's womb : 
my praise shall be always of thee." — 27ie Psalms of David, 
Ixxi. 6. 



•I 



LABOR. — THE PRECURSORY SYMPTOMS. 353 

her patient to bear down to a *^^ grinding '^ pain^ as 
though it could do the slightest good ! Xo^ it only 
robs her of her strength, and interferes with the pro- 
cess and progress of the labor. Away with such 
folly, and let Xature assert her rights and her glori- 
ous prerogative ! There is much reason to suspect 
that the danger and the diseases often connected with 
child-bearing are produced by our preposterous man- 
agement, and our absurd contrivances and interfer- 
ence, in order to assist Nature in one of her most 
important operations ; which, like all the rest of 
them, is contrived with perfect knowledge and wis- 
dom. 

631. It might be thought that I am tedious and 
prolix in insisting on non-interference in a natural 
labor, but the subject is of paramount importance, 
and cannot be too strongly dwelt upon, and cannot 
be too often brought, and that energetically, before 
the notice of a lying-in woman. 

632. Fortunately for ladies, there is great talent in 
the midwifery department, which would prevent — 
however anxious a patient may be to get out of her 
trouble — any improper interference. I say {mproper 
interference. A case sometimes, although rarely, 
occurs in which it is necessary for the medical 
man to properly interfere and to help the delivery : 
then the patient must leave herself entirely in the 
hands of her doctor — to act as he thinks best. He 
may find it necessary to use promptness and decision, 
and thus to save her an amount of unnecessary linger- 
ing pain, risk, and anxiety. But these cases, fortu- 
nately, are exceptions — rare exceptions — and not the 
rule. It is, then, absolutely necessary, in some few 
cases, that a medical man should act promptly and 



254 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

decisively : delay in such emergencies would be 
dangerous — 

*' If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well 
It were done quickly." — Shakspeare, 

633. There are times, and times without number, 
when a medical man is called upon to do but little or 
nothing ; and there are others — few and far between 
— when it is imperatively necessary that he shonkl do 
a great deal. He ought, at all times, to be as gentle 
as a lamb, but should, in certain contingencies, be as 
fearless as a lion ! 

634. An accoucheur's hand must be firm, and yet 
gentle ; his heart tender, and yet brave. Having 
made up his mind to the right course, he must pur- 
sue it without let or liindrance, without interference, 
witliout wavering, and without loss of time. Mo- 
ments in such cases are most precious ; they often de- 
termine whether the mother shall do well, and 
whether the babe shall live or die ! How many a 
child has died in the birth, in a hard and tedious 
labor, from the use of instruments having been too 
long delayed ! Instruments, that is to say, the for- 
ceps, in a proper case and judiciously applied, are 
most safe ; they are nothing more than thin hands — 
to bring away the head — when the lieadislow enough 
in the birth — the doctor's hands being too fJtick for 
the purpose. Many hours of intense suffering, and 
many years of unavailing regrets from the needless 
loss of the child, might have been saved if instru- 
ments had been used the moment mechanical aid was 
indicated — that is to say, in a case, for instance, where 
the child remained for some hours stationary in the 
birth, although the pains continued intensely strong 
and very forcing. Hence the importance, in mid- 



LABOR. — FIRST LABORS. 255 

wifery, of employing a man of talent, of experience, 
of judgment, and of decision. No branch of the pro- 
fession requires more skill than that of accoucheur. 

635. Should the husband he present during the labor ? 
Certainly not ; but as soon as the labor is over and 
all the soiled clothes have been put out of the way, 
let him instantly see his wife for a few minutes, to 
whisper in her ear words of affection, of gratitude, 
and consolation. 

636. ThQ first confinement is generally twice the 
length of time of an after one, and usually the more 
children a lady has had, the quicker will be her fol- 
lowing labors. But this is by no means always the 
case, as S07ne of the after labors may be the tedious, 
while the early ones may have been the quich ones. 

637. It ought to be borne in mind, too, that tedious 
labors are oftentimes natural, and that they only re- 
quire time and patience from all concerned to bring 
them to a successful issue. 

638. It may be said that ^ first labor, as a rule, 
lasts six hours, while an after confinement probably 
lasts but three. This space of time, of course, does 
not usually include t\\e commencement of labor-pains ; 
but the time that a lady may be actually said to be in 
real travail. If we are to reckon from the commence- 
ment of the labor, we ought to double the above 
numbers — that is to say, we should make the average 
duration of a first labor, twelve ; of an after one, six 
hours. 

639. When a lady marries late in life — for instance, 
after she has passed the age of thirty — her first labor 
is usually much more lingering, painful, and tedious, 
demanding a great stock of patience, from the pa- 
tient, from the doctor, and from the friends. Not- 



256 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

withstanding, if she be not hurried and be not much 
interfered with, both she and her babe will generally do 
remarkably well. Supposing a lady marries late in 
life, it is only the first confinement that is usually 
hard and lingering ; the after labors are as easy as 
though she had married when young. 

640. Slow labors are not necessarily dangerous ; on 
the contrary, provided there has been no interfer- 
ence, a patient frequently has a better and more rapid 
recovery, after a tedious than after a quick confine- 
ment — proving beyond doubt that nature hates hurry 
and interference. It is an old saying, and I believe 
a true one, that a lying-in woman must have pain 
either before or after her labor ; and it certainly is far 
preferable that she should have the pain and suffer- 
ing before than after the delivery is over. 

641. It is well for a patient to know that, as a rule, 
after a first confinement, after-pains are rare. This 
is some consolation, and is a kind of compensation 
for her usually suffering more with \\Qr first child. 
The after-pains generally increase in intensity with 
every additional child. This only bears out, in some 
measure, what I before advanced, namely, that the 
pain is less severe and of shorter duration before each 
succeeding labor ; and that the pain is greater and of 
longer duration after each succeeding one. The 
after-pains are intended by Nature to contract, to 
reduce the womb somewhat to its natural size, and to 
assist clots in coming away, and therefore ought not 
to be interfered with needlessly. A judicious medical 
man will, however, if the pains be very severe, pre- 
scribe medicine to moderate, not to stop them. A 
doctor fortunately possesses valuable remedies to 
alleviate the after-pains. 



LABOR. — FIRST STAGE OF LABOR. 257 

642. Xature^ beneficent Xature, ofttimes works in 
secret^ doing good service by preparing for the com- 
ing event unknown to all around. Pain, in the very 
earliest stages of laior, is not a necessary attendant. 
Although pain and sujGfering are the usual concomi- 
tants of childbirth, there are, nevertheless^ numerous 
well-authenticated cases on record of pamless par- 
iurition, 

643. A natural labor may be divided into three 
stages. Tlie first, the premonitory stage, comprises 
the ^^ falling ^^ or subsidence of the ivomi, and the 
^^show." The second is the dilating stage, known by 
the pains being of a ^^ grinding ^' nature, in which the 
mouth of the womb gradually opens or dilates until 
it is suflBciently large to allow the exit of the head of 
the child. And the third, the completing stage, in- 
indicated by the pains being of a ^'^ bearing-down^^ 
expulsive character, and by the passage of the child 
into the world. 

6-44. Now, in the first premonitory stage, which is 
much the longest of the three stages, it is neither 
necessary nor desirable that the patient should be 
confined to her room ; on the contrary, it is better 
for her to be moving about the house, and to be at- 
tending to her household duties. 

645. In the second and dilating stage, it will be 
necessary that she should be confined to her room, 
but not to her bed. If the drawing-room be near at 
hand, she ought occasionally to walk to it, and if a 
pain should come on the while, lie on the sofa. In 
this stage it is not at all desirable that she should 
keep her bed, or even lie much on it. She is better 
up and about, and walking about the room. 

646. In the first and the second stages she must 
17 



258 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

not, on any account, strain or bear down to the 
pains, as many ignorant nurses advise, as, by robbing 
her of her strength, it would only retard the delivery. 
Besides, while the mouth of the womb is dilating, 
bearing down cannot be of the slightest earthly use 
— the womb is not in a fit state to expel its contents. 
If by bearing down she could, but which fortunately 
she cannot, cause the expulsion of the child, it would, 
at this stage, be attended with frightful consequences 
— no less than with the rapture of the womb ! 
Therefore, for the future, let not a lady be per- 
suaded, either by an ignorant nurse or by any 
officious friend, to bear down until the last or the 
completing stage, when a gentle bearing down will 
assist the pains to expel the child. 

647. In the third or completing stage it is, of 
course, necessary that she should lie on the bed, and 
that she should, as above advised, bear gently down 
to the pains. The bearing<\o^vn pains will indicate 
to her when to becw down. 

648. If, towards the last, she be in great pain, and 
if she feel inclined to do so, let her cry out, and it 
will relieve her. '' Like as a woman with child, that 
draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, 
and crieth out in her pangs'' (Isa. xxvi. 17). A 
foolish nurse will tell her that if she make a noise it 
will do her harm. Away with such folly, and have 
nothing to do with any such simpletons ! One of 
the wisest men that ever lived gives excellent advice 
in this matter — 

** Give sorrow words : the grief that does not speak, 
Whispers the o'er-fraught heart, and bids it break.'' 

— Shakspeare. 

649. Even in the last stage, she ought never to 



LABOR. — LAST STAGE OF LABOR. 259 

bear down unless the pain be actually upon her ; it 
will, if she does, do her great harm. In bearing- 
down, the plan is to hold the breath, and strain down 
as though she were straining to have a stool. 

650. By a patient adopting the rules above indi- 
cated, much weariness will be avoided ; cramp, from 
her not being kept long in one position, may be 
warded off; the labor, from her being amused by 
change of room and scene, will be expedited ; and 
thus the confinement be deprived of much of its 
monotony and tediousness. 

651. The pains of labor are sometimes heavy and 
dull, or what an intelligent patient of mine once 
described as '^ groany pains ; '^ they are, occasionally, 
sharp, and cutting — ^^knify pains ;^^ while they are, 
at other times, boring and twisting — "^^corkscrewy 
pains. "^^ These are expressive terms, as many labor- 
patients will be able emphatically to indorse ! 

652. Xurses sometimes divide a labor into two 
kinds — a '''back labor,^^ and a ^^ stomach labor." 
Xow, in a ^''back labor, '^ the patient will derive com- 
fort by having her back held by the nurse. This 
ought not to be done by the bare hand, but let the 
following plan be adopted : — Let a pillow be placed 
next to the back, and then the nurse should apply 
firm pressure, the pillow intervening between the 
back and the nurse^s hand or hands. If the above 
method be followed, the back will not be injured, 
which it otherwise would be by the pressure of the 
hard hand of the nurse. When the hare hand 
alone has been applied, I have known the back to 
continue sore and stiff for days. In a ^^ stomach 
labor, '^ firm pressure of the nurse^s hand over the 
abdomen, during each throe, is of great service ; it 



260 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

helps the pain^ and thus expedites the delivery. A 
tight broad binder pressing equally over the abdomen^ 
and held by the nurse from behind, greatly assists the 
action of the pains^ and helps to press the child 
downward. 

653. During the latter stage of labor, the patient 
ought always to keep her eyelids closed, or the 
straining may cause an attack of inflammation of 
the eyes, or, at all events, may make them blood- 
shot. 

654. Let a large room, if practicable, be selected 
for the labor, and let it be airy and well ventilated ; 
and, if it be summer, take care that the chimney be 
not stopped. If the weather be intensely hot, there 
is no objection to the window being from time to 
time a little opened. 

655. If the bedstead have a fixed footboard, a has- 
sock should be placed against it, in order that the 
patient, during the latter part of the labor — during 
the bearing-down pains — may be able to plant her 
feet firmly against it, and thus be enabled the better 
to hel]3 the bearing-down of her pains. 

656. It might be well to state, that the patient 
should at such times, wear a pair of slij^pers, in order 
that the feet may not be hurt by pressing against the 
hassock. These directions may appear trivial ; but 
anything and everything that will conduce, in how- 
ever small degree, to a patient^s comfort, or advant- 
age, or well-doing, is not out of place in these pages ; 
indeed, it is attention to little things, at such sea- 
sons, that often determines whether the ^' getting 
about ^^ shall be satisfactory or otherwise. 

657. If there be, besides the bed, a straw mattress 
and a horsehair mattress, let the straw mattress be 



LABOR. — PREPARATIO]S"S. ^61 

removed^ as a high bed is inconvenient^ not only to 
the patient, but to the doctor and to the nnrse. 

658. "la the straw,'' — Women^ in ancient times, 
were delivered on straw : hence the origin of the 
term, ^^The lady in the straw/^ Also from the cus- 
tom of laying straw in the street or road in front of 
the house to deaden the sound of the traffic. 

PREPAEATIONS FOE LABOR. 

659. Position of ivoman in labor, — The position 
varies according to the country. Delivery, in some 
countries, such as in France, is usually effected while 
the patient is lying on her back ; in other coun- 
tries, while she is standing ; in others, while she is 
on her knees ; in others while she is in a kind of arm- 
chair, made for the purpose, with a false bottom to 
it, and called a ^'^groaning-chair ]" and, in other in- 
stances, such as in England, the patient is delivered 
while she is on her left side, a safe method, and, both 
for the doctor and for the patient, by far the most 
delicate and convenient. In France the lying-in 
woman is usually delivered on a small bed specially 
prepared, which is called the ''lit de niisere. This 
is a good plan, and she is moved afterwards into her 
clean bed. 

660. I should strongly urge a patient not to put 
everything off to the last. She must take care to 
have in readiness a good pair of scissors and a skein 
of whity-brown thread. And she ought to have in 
the house a small pot of vaseline or cold cream, 
and a flask of salad oil, that they may be at hand 
in case they should be wanted. Some doctors, at 
such times, prefer the vaseline ; while others prefer 
cold cream or the salad oil. Let everything neces- 



262 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

sary, both for herself and the babe, be well aired and 
ready for immediate use, and be placed in such order 
that all things may be found, without liurry or 
bustle, at a moment's notice. 

661. Another preparation for childbirth, and a 
most important one, is attending to the state of the 
bowels. If tlieij he at all costive, the moment there is 
the slightest j9r^;/20?ii7or^ symptoms of labor she ought 
to take either a teaspoonful or a dessert-spoonful of 
castor oil, according to the nature of her bowels, 
whether she be easily moved or otherwise. If she 
objects to taking tlie oil, then let her have an enema 
of warm water — a pint — administered. She will, by 
adopting either of the above plans, derive the greatest 
comfort and advantage ; it will prevent her delicacy 
from being shocked by having her bowels opened, 
without her being able to prevent them, during the 
last stage of the labor ; and it will, by giving the 
adjacent parts more room much expedite the delivery, 
and lessen her sufferings. 

662. The next thing to be attended to is the way 
in which she ought to be dressed for the occasion. I 
would recommend her to put on a clean night-gown ; 
which, in order to keep it unsoiled should be smoothly 
and carefully rolled up about her waist; then she ought 
to wear over it a short bed-gown reaching to her hips, 
and have on a flannel petticoat to meet it, and then 
she should over all put on a dressing-gown. If it be 
winter, the dressing-gown had better be composed of 
flannel or be lined with that material. 

663. Tlie stays must not he icorn, as by preventing 
the muscles of the chest and the abdomen from help- 
ing the expulsion of the child, they will interfere with 
the progress of the labor. 



LABOK. — PREPARATIONS. 263 

664. Putting tight stays on a woman in travail is 
about as sensible as putting a man in a sack to run a 
race I Tight stays are^ in labor^ almost as injurious 
as a strait-waistcoat would be, and would act much 
in the same way. Strait- waistcoats are going out of 
fashion, and it is to be hoped that tight stays will 
follow suit ; they are both instruments of torture, and 
worthy of the dark ages in which they sprang up and 
flourished ! Those persons who advocate tight lacing 
as beneficial to health are the proper people — they 
being lunatics — to wear strait-waistcoats, and such 
should be reserved for their exclusive benefit. 

665. The valance of the bed, and the carpet, and 
the curtains at the foot of the bed, had better all be 
removed ; they are only in the way, and may get soiled 
and spoiled. 

666. '' The guarding of the heel,'' — This is done in 
the following way : — Cover the right side of the bed, 
as the patient will have to lie on her left side, with a 
large piece, a yard and a half square, of waterproof 
cloth, or bed-sheeting as it is sometimes called, which 
is sold for the purpose ; over this place folded sheets. 
If a waterproof cloth cannot be procured, an oilcloth 
table-cover will answer the purpose. Either of the 
above plans will eflfectually protect the bed from in- 
jury. 

667. The lying-in room should be kept, not hot, 
but comfortably warm ; if the temperature of the room 
be high, the patient will become irritable, feverish, 
and restless, and the labor will be prolonged. 

66S. In order to change the air, let the door of 
the room every now and then be left ajar ; and if, in 
the early .periods of the labor, the patient should re- 
tire for a while to the drawing-room, let the lying-in 



364 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

room window be thrown wide open^ so as to thoroughly 
ventilate the apartment^ and to make it fresh and 
sweet on her return. If the weather be very warm, 
the upper sash of the window may for a few inches 
be opened. It is wonderful how refreshing to the 
spirits, and how strengthening to the frame, a well- 
ventilated room is to a woman in travail. 

669. Many attendants are not only unnecessary but 
injurious. They excite and flurry the patient, they 
cause noise and confusion, and rob the air of its 
purity. One lady friend, beside the doctor and the 
monthly nurse, is all that is needed. In making the 
selection of a friend, care should be taken that she 
be the mother of a family, that she be kind-hearted 
and self-possessed, and of a cheerful turn of mind. 
All '^ chatterers,^^ '^ croakers, ^^ and '^ potterers '' 
ought, at these times, to be carefully exchided from 
the lying-in room. No conversation of a depressing 
character should for one moment be allowed. Nurses 
and friends who are in the habit of narrating the bad 
cases that have occurred in their experience must be 
avoided as the plague. If nurses have had bad cases 
many of them have probably been of their own mak- 
ing. Such nurses, therefore, ought on every account 
to be shunned. 

670. Boisterous conversation during the progress 
of childbirth ought never to be permitted ; it only 
irritates and excites the patient. Although noisy 
merriment is bad, yet at such times gentle, cheerful, 
and agreeable chat is beneficial ; towards the con- 
clusion of the labor, however, perfect quietude must 
be enjoined, as during the latter stage, talking, be it 
ever so little, is usually most distasteful and annoy- 
ing to the patient. The only words that should then 



II 



LABOR. — PREPARATIOKS. 265 

be sj)olven are a few words of comfort from the doc- 
tor^ announcing from time to time that the labor is 
progressing favorabl}'^ and that the pain and sorroAV 
will soon be converted into ease and joy. 

671. The attendants and all around a lying-in 
patient must be patient, let the patient herself be 
ever so impatient — she has frequently cause for her 
impatience ; the bitter pangs of labor are oftentimes 
severe enough to make even an angel impatient ! Xot 
a note, then, of impatience must grate upon her ear ; 
but words of gentleness, of encouragement, and of 
hope, must be the remedies used by those about her 
to soothe her impatience. 

672. The mother of the patient on these occasions 
is often present ; but of all persons she is the most 
unsuitable, as, from her maternal anxiety, she tends 
rather to depress than to cheer her daughter. 
Though the mother ought not to be in the room, it 
is, if practicable, desirable that she should be in the 
house. The patient, in the generality of cases, de- 
rives comfort from the knowledge of her mother 
being so near at hand. 

673. Another preparation for labor is — to soothe 
her mind by telling her of the usual safety of con- 
finements, and by assuring her that, in the generality 
of instances, it is a natural process, and no disease 
whatever ; and that all she has to do is to keep up 
her spirits, to adhere strictly to the rules of her 
doctor, to have a little patience, and that she will do 
remarkably w^ell. Let her be reminded, too, of pas- 
sages from the Sweet Singer of Israel, which are full 
of hope and of comfort : — '' Heaviness may endure 
for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. "" " Thou 
hast turned my heaviness into joy,^" and ''^girded me 



266 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

with gladness/' " They that sow in tears shall reap 
in joy/' Again : — ''I Avas in misery, and he helped 
me/' 

674. Tell her, too, that '' sweet is pleasure after 
pain ; " and of the exquisite happiness and joy she 
will feel as soon as her labor is over, as perhaps the 
greatest thrill of delight a woman ever experiences in 
this world is when her babe isjirsf born. She, as if 
by magic, forgets all the sorrow and suffering she 
has endured. Keble, in the Christian YeaVy well 
observes — 

*^ Mysterious to all thouglit, 
A woman's prime of bhss, 
When to lier eager lips is brought 
Her infant's thrilling kiss." 

How beautifully, too, he sings of the gratitude of a 
woman to God for her safe delivery from the perils 
and pangs of childbirth — 

'* Only let heaven her fire impart, 

No richer incense breathes on earth : 
* A spouse with all a daughter's heart/ 
Fresh from the i)erilous birth, 
To the great Father lifts her pale glad eye. 
Like a reviving flower when storms are hushed on high." 

675. The doctor, too, will be able to administer 
comfort to her when he has ^^ tried a pain," or has 
^^ taken a pain," as it is called, and when he can as- 
sure her that it ^^is all right and straightforward " — 
that is to say, that the child is presenting in the most 
favorable position, and that everything is progress- 
ing satisfactorily. He will, moreover, be able to 
inform her of the probable ^"^ duration of her labor." 
There is nothing more comforting and consoling to a 
lying-in patient than for the medical man to be able 



LABOR. — EXAMI]S^ATIOXS. 267 

to tell her of the probable time the labor will last, 
which^ after he has '- tried a paiu/^ he is iisualh^able 
to do ; nothing to her is more insupportable than un- 
certainty — 

'' Uncertainty ! 
Fell demon of our fears ! the human soul, 
That can support despair, supports not thee." — Mallet, 

^'^Q, All needless cause of fear must be kept out of 
sight. A foolish^ ridiculous, twaddling nurse must 
not be allowed to tell her of any horrible case which 
she may have had, or which she may have pretended 
to have had. She is a prattling silly fool for her 
pains, and was most likely herself the cause of such 
bad cases, if they really existed otherwise than in her 
imagination. A childbed woman is timid, and full 
of fears ; she might say with Constance — 

'' For I am sick, and capable of fears." 

677. Fear and sorrow usually fall upon a woman 
in labor, or as the Psalmist beautifully expresses it, 
— ^'^Fear came there upon them, and sorrow, as upon 
a woman in her travail." Such being the case, the 
attendants should endeavor to counteract the same 
by confidence and cheerfulness — not a jarring note of 
despondency should be heard — and why should there 
be ? Labor is, as a rule, perfectly safe and natural ; 
and confidence and cheerfulness are two of the grand 
remedies to bring it to a happy conclusion. 

678. Let me in this place urge upon the patient 
the importance of her allowing the doctor to inquire 
fully into her state. She may depend upon it that 
this inquiry will be conducted in the most delicate 
manner. If there be anything wrong in the labor, it 
is in the early stage, and lefore the ''^waters have 



268 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

broken/^ that the most good can be done. If a proper 
examination be not allowed to the medical man when- 
ever he deems it right and proper — and a judicious 
doctor will do it as seldom as with safety he can — her 
life^ and perhaps that of her child, may pay the pen- 
alty of such false delicacy. 

679. Brandy ought always to be in the house ; but 
let me impress upon the minds of the attendants the 
importance of withholding it from a lying-in woman, 
unless it be ordered by the doctor. Numbers have 
fallen victims to its being indiscriminately given. I 
am of oi)inion that the great caution which is now 
adopted in giving stimulants to women in labor is 
one reason, among others, of the greater safety of the 
confinements of the present day, compared with those 
of former times. 

680. Brandy in the lying-in room is indispensable, 
in case of flooding, of exhaustion, of fainting, or any 
other emergency. But brandy should be considered 
as a medicine, as a valuable and as a powerful medi- 
cine, and, like all powerful medicine, should be pre- 1 1 
scribed by a doctor, and by a doctor only, who will 
indicate the fit time and jDroper dose to be given. If 
this advice be not strictly followed, deplorable conse- 
quences may, and probably will, ensue. According 
to the way it is used, brandy is either a faithful friend 
or a bitter enemy ! 

681. The best beverage for a patient during labor is 
a cup of warm tea, or gruel, or arrow-root. It is folly 
in the extreme, during the progress of labor, to force 
her to eat : her stomach recoils from it, as at these 
times there is generally a loathing of food ; and if we 
will, as we always ought, to take the appetite as our 
guide, we shall never go far wrong. 



II 



LABOR. — EXAMIXATIOXS. 269 

682. A patient during labor ought frequently to 
empty her bladder ; she will by doing so add materi- 
ally to her ease and comfort^ and it will give the ad- 
jacent parts more rooni^ and will thus expedite the 
delivery. I wish to call attention to this point. 
Many ladies^ from false delicacy^ especially with their 
first child^ have suffered severely from not attending 
to it. One of the ill effects is inability^ after the labor 
is over^ to j)ass water without the assistance of the 
doctor. In an extreme case it would be necessary to 
introduce a catheter into the bladder^ and thus draw 
the water off. 

683. I recommended^ in a previous paragraph^ that 
the doctor ought to have either the drawing-room or 
a bedroom to retire to, in order that the patient 
miglit^ during the progress of the labor, ie left very 
much to lierseJf, and that thus she might have full 
opfjortunities, whenever she felt the slightest incli- 
nation to do so, of thoroughly emptying either her 
bladder or bowels. Xoii% this advice is of very great 
importance, and if it were more followed than it is, 
a great diminution of misery, of annoyance, and suf- 
fering would be effected. I have given the subject 
great attention, as I have had large experience in 
midwifery practice ; I therefore S23eak '' like one hav- 
ing authority, ^^ and if my " counsel ^^ in this particu- 
lar be attended to, this book will not have been 
written in vain. 

68-4. If the j)atient, twelve hours after her delivery, 
after having tried two or three times during that 
time, be unahJe to empty the bladder, the medical 
man must be informed of the inability, or serious con- 
sequences may ensue. 



270 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

CHLOROFORM IN LABOR. 

685. Mothers and doctors are indebted to Sir 
James Simpson for the introduction of cliloroform, 
one of the greatest and most valuable discoveries ever 
conferred on suffering humanity.* 

68G. The inhalation of chloroform, especially in 
cases of hard and lingering labor, is every day be- 
coming more general, and Avill be more extensively 
so when its value is better understood, and when, in 
well-selected cases, its comparative freedom from 
danger is sufficiently understood. Cliloroform is es- 
pecially safe in labor, because tlie heart of a i)reg- 
nant woman is stronger and more muscular than at 
other times. It is so because it has the extra work 
to do of pumping the blood tlirough the child's cir- 
culation in addition to that of the mother. 

G87. Chloroform, then, is a great boon in mid- 
wifery practice ; indeed, we may say with Dr. Kidd, 
that in labor cases '^ it has proved to be almost a 
greater boon than in the experimental and gigantic 
operations of the surgeon. '' It may be administered 
in labor with perfect safety by a medical man. I 



* "Dr. Simpson, on first propounding the theory of the 
application of chloroform to patients requiring surgical aid, 
was stoutly opposed by certain Calvinistic objectors, who 
held that to check the sensation of pain in connection with 
* visitations of God ' was to contravene the decrees of an 
All- wise Creator. 

"What w-as his answer? That the Creator, during the 
process of extracting the rib from Adam, must necessarily 
have adopted a somewhat corresponding artifice — ' For did 
not God throw Adam in a deep sleep ? ' The Pietists were 
satisfied, and the discoverer triumphed over ignoble and 
ignorant prejudice." — J. S. Laurie in A Letter to The Times, 
May 11, 1870. 



LABOR. — chlorofor:m. 271 

myself give it in nearly every case of labor, and al- 
ways with benefit to my patient and satisfaction to 
myself. 

688. The inhalation of chloroform, according to the 
will of the operator, causes either partial or complete 
unconsciousness, and, either for a longer or for a 
shorter time, freedom from pain. In other w^ords, 
the effects may with great benefit be continued either 
for a few minutes, or from time to time for several 
hours. Indeed, if given in proper cases, and by a 
judicious doctor, it may be administered for a long 
time with great benefit, and with perfect safety. 

689. Chloroform is most applicable and useful in 
a labor — more esj)ecially in a first confinement — 
when it is lingering, when the throes are very se- 
vere, and when, notwithstanding the pain, the labor 
is making but little progress ; then chloroform is a 
priceless boon. When the patient is of a nervous 
temperament, and when she looks forward with dread 
and apprehension to every pain, chloroform is very 
beneficial. 

690. It might be asked — Would you give chloro- 
form in every case of labor, be it ever so easy and 
quick ? Certainly not : it is neither advisable nor 
expedient in an ordinary, easy, quick confinement to 
administer it. The cases in which it is desirable to 
give chloroform are all lingering, hard, and severe 
ordinary labors : in such I would gladly use it. But 
before administering it I would, as a rule, wait for 
at least some time from the commencement of the 
true pains. 

691. Oh, the delightful and magical effects of it in 
the cases above described ; the lying-in room, from 
teing in a state of gloom, despondency, and misery^ 



272 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

is instantly transformed^ by its means, into one of 
cheerfulness, hope, and happiness ! 

692. When once a lying-in woman has experienced 
the good effects of chloroform in assuaging her agony, 
she importunately, at every recurrence of '' the 
pain/^ urges her medical man to give her more ! In 
all her subsequent confinements, having once tasted 
the good effect of chloroform, she does not dread it. 
I have frequently heard a lady declare that now she 
can have chloroform, she looks forward to the period 
of childbirth with confidence and hope, whether her 
labor sliall be hard or lingering. 

693. It might be asked — Does the inhalation of 
chloroform retard the patient's ^^ getting about ?^^ 
I emphatically declare that it does not do so. Those 
who have had chloroform, as a general rule, have 
always had as good and speedy recoveries as those 
who have not inhaled it. 

694. One important consideration in the giving of 
chloroform in labor is, that a patient lias seldom, if 
ever, ivhile under the effects of it, been knoiou to die ; 
which is more tlian can be said when it is adminis- 
tered in surgical operations, in the extraction of teeth, 
etc. ^^I know there is not one well attested death 
from chloroform in midwifery in all our journals. ''* 

695. One reason why it may be so safe to give 
chloroform in labor is that, in the general practice of 
midwifery, a medical man does not deem it needful 
to put his patient under the full influence of it. He 
administers just enough to ease her pain, but not 
sufficient to rob her of total consciousness. In a 
surgical operation the surgeon generally considers it 



<i 



■ Dr. Kidd in Dublin Quarterly, 



LABOR. — CHLOROFORM. 273 

necessary to put liis patient under the full influence 
of chloroform : hence the safety in the one^ and the 
danger in the other case. ^^ It is quite possible to 
afford immense relief^ to ^render the pains quite 
bearable/ as a patient of mine observed^ by a dose 
which does not procure sleep or impair the mental 
condition of the patient, and which all our experience 
would show is absolutely free from danger/^ * 

696. There is another advantage in chloroform ; 
the child, when he is born, is usually both lively and 
strong, and is not at all affected by the mother having 
had chloroform administered to her. This is a most 
important consideration. 

697. The doctor, too, as I before remarked, is 
deeply indebted to Sir J . Simpson for this great 
boon. Formerly he dreaded a tedious and hard 
labor ; noiu he does not do so, as he is fully aware 
that chloroform will rob such a lying-in of much of 
its terror, and most of its pain and suffering, and 
will, in all probability, materially shorten the dura- 
tion of the confinement. 

698. So highly do I think of chloroform, that I 
never go to a labor without a bottle of it in my 
pocket. I find this plan very convenient, as I am 
then, in proper cases, always prepared to give it, and 
there is no precious time wasted in sending for it. 

699. Chloroform ought never to be administered, 
either to a patient in labor or to any one else, except 
by a medical man. This advice admits of no excej)- 
tion. And chloroform should never be given unless 
it be either in a lingering or in a hard labor. As I 
have before advised, in a natural, easy, everyday 

* Churchill's Theory and Rractice of Midwifery, 
i8 



274 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

labor. Nature ought not to be interfered with, but 
should be allowed to run her own course. Patience, 
gentleness, and non-interference are the best and 
chief requisites required in the inajority of labor 
cases. 

HINTS TO ATTENDANTS IN THE UNAVOIDABLE 
ABSENCE OF THE DOCTOR. 

700. It frequently happens that, after i\\e first con- 
finement, the labor is so rapid that the child is born 
before the doctor has time to reach the patient. It 
is consequently highly desirable, nay, imperatively 
necessary, in the interest and for the well-doing both 
of the mother and of the babe, that either the nurse 
or the lady friend sliould, in such an emergency, 
know ivliat to do and ivlud not to do. I, therefore, 
in the few following paragraphs purpose, in the sim- 
plest and clearest language I can command, to en- 
lighten them on the subject. 

701. In the first place, let the attendants be both 
calm and self-possessed, and let there be no noise, no 
scuffling, no excitement, no whispering, and no talk- 
ing. Let the patient be made to thoroughly under- 
stand that there is not the slightest danger : the prin- 
cipal danger will be in causing unnecessary fears 
both as to herself and her child : — '^ A woman, natur- 
ally born to fears, is, at these times, especially timid.^^ 
Tens of thousands are annually delivered in England, 
and everywhere else, without the slightest assistance 
from a doctor,* he not being at hand, or not being 

* " Dr. Vose said that once, when in the remote valleys 
of Westmoreland and Cumberland, he used to ask the 
people how they got on without medical aid, particularly 
in regard to midwifery cases ; people wondered that he 



LABOR. — HINTS 11^ ABSENCE OF DOCTOR. 275 

in time ; and yet both mother and babe almost in- 
variably have done well. Let her be informed of 
this fact^ for it is a fact^ and it will be a comfort to 
her^ and will assuage her fears. The medical man, 
as soon as he arrives, will soon make all right and 
straight. 

702. In the meantime let the following directions 
be followed : — Stqjjjosing a child to he horn iefore the 
medical man arrives, the nurse ought then to ascer- 
tain whether a coil of navel-string be around the neck 
of the infant ; if it be, it must be instantly liberated, 
or he may be strangled. Care should be taken that 
he has sufficient room to breathe ; that there be not 
a ^^ membrane^' over his mouth; and that his face 
be not buried in the clothes. Any discharge about 
the mouth of the babe ought, with a soft napkin, to 
be wiped away, or it will impede the breathing. 

703. Every infant, the moment he comes into the 
world, ought to cry ; if he does not naturally, he 
should be made to do so by smacking his buttocks 
until he does cry. He will then be safe — 

*' We came crying hither ; 
Thou know'st the first time we smell the air 
We waul and cry." — Shakspeare, 

It is well that the new-born child should cry, as by 
this means the lungs become properly inflated with 
air. It is essential, then, that it should be made to 



should ask. He found that they had no mid wives even. 
Wlien a woman begins her troubles, they told him, they 
give her warm beer ; if she is worse, more warm beer : but 
if that fails, then ' she maun dee.' So they give stimulants 
from the first. One word in the paper read seemed to con- 
tain the gist of the matter ; we must treat the patients ac- 
cording to ' common-sense.' " — British Med. Jour. 



276 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

cry out. A few gentle slaps on the back will, in a 
healthy child, secure this result. 

704. If the doctor have not arrived, cheerfulness, 
quietness, and presence of mind must, by all around, 
be observed ; otherwise the patient may become ex- 
cited and alarmed, and dangerous consequences may 
ensue. 

705. If the babe should be horn apparently dead, 
a few smart blows must be given on the buttocks and 
on the back ; or rag should be singed under the nose, 
taking care that the burning tinder does not touch 
the skin ; or cold water may be freely sprinkled on 
the face. But after all, a good smacking of the but- 
tocks, in an apparently still-born babe, is, in restor- 
ing animation, often the most liandij, quick, and 
ready remedy. Thousands of apparently still-born 
children have, by this simple remedy alone, been 
saved from threatened death. If you can once make 
an apparently still-born babe cry, and cry he nmst, 
as a rule he is safe. The navel-string, as long as 
there is pulsation in it, ought not to be tied. 

706. The limbs, the back, and the chest of the 
child ought with the warm hand to be well rubbed. 
The face should not be smothered up in the clothes. 
If pulsation have ceased in the navel-string, the 
above rules having been strictly followed, and having 
failed, let the navel-string be tied and divided, and 
then let the child be plunged into warm water — 98° 
Fahrenheit. If the sitdden plunge does not rouse 
respiration into action, let him be taken out of the 
warm bath, as the keeping him for any length of 
time in the water will be of no avail. 

707. If these simple means should not quicUy suc- 
ceed, although they generally will. Dr. Marshall 



LABOR. — HINTS IK ABSENCE OF DOCTOR. 277 

HalFs Ready Method ought in the following manner 
to be tried : — ^"^ Place the infant on his face ; turn 
the body gently but completely on the side and a 
little heyond, and then on the face alternately ; re- 
peating these measures deliberately ;, efficiently^ and 
perseveringly^ fifteen times in the minute only.^^ 

708. Another plan of restoring suspended anima- 
tion is by artificial respiration^ which should be em- 
ployed in the following manner : — Let the nurse^ in 
the absence of the doctor^ squeeze^ with her left 
hand^ the chikFs nose^ to prevent any passage of air 
through the nostrils ; then let her ap]3ly her mouth 
to the child^s mouthy and breathe into it^ in order to 
inflate the lungs ; as soon as they are inflated^ the 
air ought^ with the right hand^ to be pressed out 
again^ so as to imitate natural breathing. Again 
and again for several minutes, and for about fifteen 
times a minute, should the above process be repeated; 
and the operator will frequently be rewarded by 
hearing a convulsive sob, which wall be the harbinger 
of renewed life. 

709. Until animation be restored, the naval-string, 
provided there be pulsation in it, ought not to be 
tied. If it be tied before the child have breathed, 
and before he have cried, he will have but a slight 
chance of recovery. While the naval-string is left 
entire, provided there be still pulsation in it, he has 
the advantage of the mother^s circulation and 
support. 

710. If a good smacking of the bottom, and if Dr. 
Marshall HalFs Ready Method, and if artificial res- 
piration should not succeed, he must be immersed 
np to his neck in a warm bath of 98° Fahrenheit. A 
plentiful supply of warm water ought always to be 



278 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

ill readinesS;, more especially if the labor be hard and 
lingering. 

711. A still-born infant is one who is either at^ or 
within a couple of months of his full time, and is — 

'' A child that was dead before he was born." 

— Tennyson, 

713. It may be well for one moment to pause and 
inquire who are the wives — the rich or the poor — 
that are most prone to bring forth still-born chil- 
dren ? It is not tlie poor man^s wife, who toils for 
her daily food, who ^^ rises up early, and so late takes 
rest, and eats the bread of carefulness,^^ that most 
frequently has still-born infants — certainly not ; but 
it is the rich man's wife, who lounges in easy 
chairs and in luxurious carriages, who fares sumptu- 
ously every day, and who nestles in beds of down, 
that is most likely to have them, as tlie Births in the 
fashionable newspapers abundantly and yet laconi- 
cally testify. 

713. But it might be said, ^^It is cruel to tell a 
rich lady these things ! ^^ I do not think so ; a 
medical man must occasionally be cruel to be kind ; 
he must often probe a wound before he can heal it ; 
he must, sometimes, give bitter medicine for sweet 

health — 

** For 'tis a physic 
That's bitter to sweet end." 

He must expose the evil effects of a luxurious life, 
and show its folly, its hollowness, and its danger, be- 
fore he can prove an opposite course of treatment to 
be the right ; that is to say, that simplicity of living 
is a source of health, of fruitfulness, of robust chil- 
dren, and of happiness ; while, on the other hand. 



LABOK. — HIXTS IX ABSEXCE OF DOCTOR. 279 

luxurious living is a cause of disease^ of barrenness^ 
of still-born children^ and of misery unspeakable I 

714. Should the child have been born for some time 
before the doctor has arrived, it may be necessary to 
tie and to divide the navel-string. The manner of 
performing it is as follows: — A ligature^ composed 
of four or five whity-brown threads^ nearly a foot in 
lengthy and with a knot at each end^ ought^ by a 
double knot, to be tightly tied, at about two inches 
from the body of the child, around the navel-string. 
A second ligature must, in a similar manner, be ap- 
plied about three inches from the first, and the navel- 
string should be carefully divided midway between 
the two ligatures. Of course, if the medical man 
be shortly expected, any interference would not be 
advisable, as such matters ought always to be left 
entirely to him. 

715. The after^birth must never be brought aivayby 
the nurse. If the doctor has not yet arrived, it should 
be allowed to come away of its own accord, which, if 
left alone, in the generalty of cases it usually will. 
The only treatment that the nurse ought in such a 
case to adopt is, that she apply, by means of her right 
hand, firm pressure over the region of the womb ; 
this will have the effect of encouraging the contrac- 
tion of the womb, of throwing off the after-birth, and 
of preventing violent fiooding. 

716. If the after-birth does not soon come away — 
say in half an hour — or if there be any flooding, send 
for another medical man at once. The nurse on no 
account should be allowed to interfere with the after- 
birth further than by applying firm pressure over the 
region of the womb. She should not touch the navel- 
string at all, as I have known dangerous, and in some 



280 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

cases even fatal^ consequences to ensue from a nurse 
meddling with it. Officious nurses have frequently 
been known^ in their anxiety to get the labor entirely 
over by themselves^ without the doctor^s assistance, 
to actually tear away, by violence, the navel-string 
from the after-birth — the after-birth being the while 
in the womb — the blood in consequence flowing away 
from the lacerated after-birth in torrents ; so that the 
moment the doctor arrives — if he fortunately arrive 
in time — he has been obliged, in order to save his 
patient^s life, to introduce his hand at once into the 
womb, and to bring the after-birth bodily away. 
Meddlesome nurses are then most dangerous, and 
should be carefully shunned. 

717. What sJioidd be done wWi fhe ofter-hirth? 
Let the monthly nurse, after all the servants have 
gone to bed, make a good fire in the kitchen-grate, 
and burn it. 

718. Now as this chapter of '^ hints to attendants 
in the unavoidable absence of the doctor ^^ is a most 
important one, indeed, one of the most important in 
this book, I think it well to summarize the foregoing 
remarks, making certain additions. I will divide the 
subject into — What to do for the Mother, and What to 
do for the Child, 

719. What to do for the Mother. Whilst the child is 
coming into the world, the right hand of the nurse 
should be ready to assist its progress, by removing 
any obstruction of the clothes, or by gently directing 
the best disposition of its body as the several parts 
come forward, so as to facilitate the birth. During 
this progress the left hand of the nurse should be 
spread over the abdomen, over the region of the womb, 
and firmly pressed against it. As the child leaves 



LABOR. — HINTS IN ABSENCE OF DOCTOR. 281 

the womb^ so will the womb itself become smaller 
under the hand. The hand must steadily follow the 
womb down in its decreasing size. With the birth 
of the child, the decrease will cease. The pati'ent 
being on her left side, the womb will be felt as a hard 
ball in the left groin near that hip. The nurse must 
gently knead this ball until the after-birth has been 
expelled from it, and for half an hour after its ex- 
pulsion. This is imperatively necessary. The 
kneading or gentle irritation of the womb, firstly, 
aids in the throwing off the after-birth, secondly, 
causes contraction of the emptied but large womb ; 
thirdly, in producing the contraction, the dangers of 
flooding are avoided ; and fourthly, the better the con- 
traction of the womb, secured thus easily, the better 
the ^'getting up ^^ of the patient. When the after- 
birth leaves the womb, the hand will immediately 
know this by the further decrease in the size. The 
nurse should now get some one to take charge of the 
abdomen, so that her hands may both be free to at- 
tend to the navel-string. As long as there is pulsa- 
tion in the navel-string it should not be tied. When 
the pulsation has ceased, let it be tied in the manner 
described. And here I would give a hint. A clean 
diaper should be placed under the part to be severed. 
By doing this, there will be no danger of hurting or 
amputating any neighboring part, and any bleeding 
from the cord or sudden spurt of blood, at the time 
of severance, will be caught by the diaper. I have 
heard of untoward accidents and injury, and seen a 
great deal of trouble from soiled sheets, by the not 
using the diaper. Xow, if the nurse runs her fingers, 
along the maternal portion of the cord, from the cut 
portion, she will come to its attachment to the after- 



282 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

birth. All matters having jorogressed naturally, the 
after-birth should be seen protruding from the vagina 
— in fact just inside this passage. In removing the 
after-birth it is very essential that it and the parts 
attached — called the membranes — should all be taken 
away, leaving nothing behind. This total removal 
can well be effected by gently grasping the after- 
birth, and, instead of drawing it out straight, giving 
it a turn to the left or right on withdrawing it. By 
this method the membranes will be twisted round, 
any pieces will be caught, and any clots entangled, 
and all thus be easily taken away. The child can 
now be wrapped in a blanket and placed in a safe 
corner. The soiled linen and sheets about the liips 
and all remains of the confinement should be removed, 
the parts cleansed with warm water, a good diaper 
applied, and the patient made comfortable. The 
nurse should now again take charge of the abdomen. 
The left hand should be over the womb, whicli she 
should gently knead at intervals to keep it well con- 
tracted. This she should Ao for half an hour front 
the time she makes her patient comfortable. When 
the womb has contracted, and there is all probability 
of safety from flooding, a stout binder should be 
firmly wrapped round the abdomen and well secured. 
After a couple of hours, the patient may be allowed 
to turn on her back. 

720. What to do with the Child. As it is coming 
into the world, the position of the navel-string must 
be noticed. If it be round the child's neck, it should 
be unwound. If one of the arms gets twisted, it 
should be put straight. In doing this, it should be 
remembered to turn the arm towards the child's 
abdomen and in the direction of the hip, not of the 



LABOR. — REST. 283 

shoulder. In many cases of tearing of the parts^ 
properly known as "'^torn in the confinement^^ — that 
is, a rupture of the perineum — the too quick delivery 
of one of the child's shoulders has been the cause. 
It is well for the nurse to know this. The bed and 
clothes must be arranged so as to favor the speedy 
exit of the child. And the parts as they come for- 
ward should be supported. Directly the child is 
born, the mouth and nose should be wiped, and all 
discharge removed about them and about the eyes. 
The navel-string is to be severed on the conditions 
and in the manner already given. It is well, if the 
child does not cry at its birth, to give it a slap on the 
buttock or gently depress the breastbone. If there 
be no signs of life, then the nurse must resort to the 
methods already named. The child, breathing nat- 
urally, can be washed as soon as the nurse can safely 
leave the mother. In some cases, a child has lost its 
life from imperfect tying of the navel-string or dis- 
ease in it. It behooves a nurse to look occasionally to 
see that the tying has been effectual. 

BEST AFTER DELIVERY. 

721. A lady ought not to be disturbed for at least 
two hours after the delivery ; if she be, violent flood- 
ing may be produced. The doctor of course will, by 
removing the soiled napkins, and by applying clean 
ones in their place, make her comJortable. 

722. Her head ought to be made easy ; she must 
still lie on her side ; indeed, for the first two hours 
let her remain nearly in the same position as that in 
which she was confined, with this only difference, 
that if her feet have been pressing against the bed- 
post, they should be removed from that position. 



284 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

CLOTHING AFTER LABOR. 

723. She oughts after the lapse of two hours or so, 
to be moved from one side of the bed to the other. 
It should be done in the most gentle and cautious 
manner. She must 7iot, on any account whatever, be 
allowed to sit erect in the heel, While being moved, 
she herself should be passive — that is to say, she 
ought to use no exertion — no effort — but should by 
two attendants, be removed from side to side ; one 
taking hold of her shoulders, the other of her hips. 

724. A patient, after delivery, usually feels shivery 
and starved ; it will tlierefore be necessary to throw 
over her additional clothing, such as a blanket or 
two, to envelop the body, and be well tucked around 
her ; but the nurse ought to be careful not to over- 
load her with clothes, or flooding, fainting, etc., may 
be produced ; as soon, therefore, as she be warmer, 
let the extra clothing be gradually removed. If the 
feet be cold, let them be w^rapped in a warm flannel 
petticoat, or i)lace a hot-water bottle near them. 

725. A frequent change of linen after childbirth is 
desirable. Nothing is more conducive to health 
than cleanliness. Great care should be taken to have 
the sheets and linen well aired. 

726. A foolish nurse fancies that clean Ihien will 
give her patient cold, and that dirty linen w^ll pre- 
vent it, and keep her warm ! Such folly is most 
dangerous ! A lying-in woman should bear in mind 
that dirt breeds fever and fosters infectious diseases. 
There would be very little of fever, or of infectious 
diseases of any kind in the world, if cleanliness — of 
course I include pure water in this category — and 
ventilation were more observed than they are. 



I LABOR. — BAKDAGIKG. 285 

EEFRESHMENT AFTER LABOR. 
727. A cup of cool black tea, dirctly after the pa- 
tient is confined, ought to be given. I say cool, not 
cold, as cold tea might chill her. Hot tea would be 
improper, as it might induce flooding. As soon as 
she is settled in bed, there is nothing better than a 
small basin of warm gruel. 

728. Stimulants ought never to be given after a 
confinement, unless ordered by the medical man. 
Stimulants of all kinds must, unless advised by the 
doctor, be carefully avoided, as they would only pro- 
duce fever, and probably infiammation. Caudle is 
now seldom given ; but still some old-fashioned 
people are fond of recommending it after a labor. 
Caudle ought to be banished the lying-in room : it 
caused in former times the death of thousands ! 

BANDAGING AFTER LABOR. 

729. This consists of thick linen, similar to sheet- 
ing about a yard and a half long, and sufficiently 

b broad to comfortably support the abdomen. Two or 
three folded diapers should be placed in each groin 
— the bend of the thigh — and a long one in the 
centre of the abdomen over the region of the womb, 
and then the bandage should be neatly and smoothly 
applied to keep the diapers firmly fixed in their 
position. The bandage ought to be put on moder- 
ately tight, and should be re-tightened every night 
and morning, or oftener if it become slack. An ob- 
stetric binder is admirably adapted to give support 
after a confinement, and may be obtained of any re- 
spectable surgical instrument maker. If there be 
not either a proper bandage or binder at hand, a yard 
and a half of unlleached calico, folded double, will 



286 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

answer the purpose. The best pins to fasten the 
bandages are the patent safety nursery pins. The 
obstetric binder requires no pins. 

730. A support to the abdomen after labor is im- 
portant : in the first place, it is a great comfort ; in 
the second, it induces the stretched muscles of the 
abdomen to return to their original state ; and lastly, 
it prevents flooding. Those ladies, more especially 
if they have had large families, who have neglected 
proper bandaging after their confinements, frequently 
sujffer from an enlarged and pendulous abdomen, 
which gives them an unwieldly and ungainly appear- 
ance, indeed, completely ruining their figures. 

THE POSITION AFTER LABOR. 

731. Tlie tvay to place the patient in bed. — She 
ought not, immediately after a labor, under any pre- 
text or pretence whatever, to be allowed to raise her- 
self in bed. If she be dressed as recommended in a 
previous paragraph, her soiled linen may readily be 
removed ; and she may be drawn up by two assist- 
ants — one being at her shoulders and the other at 
her legs — to the proper place, as she herself must not 
ie alloiced to use the slightest exertion. Inattention 
to the above recommendation has sometimes caused 
violent flooding, fainting, bearing down of the womb, 
etc., and in some cases even fatal consequences. 

THE LYING-IN ROOM. 

732. The room to be Icept cool and well ventilated. 
— A nurse is too apt, after the confinement is over, 
to keep a large fire. Nothing is more injurious than 
to have the temperature of a lying-in room high. A 
little fire, provided the weather be cold, to encour- 
age a circulation of the air, is desirable. A fire- 



( 



LABOR. — THE LYING-II^ EOOM. 287 

guard ought to be attached to the grate of the lying- 
in room. The door, in order to change the air of the 
apartment, must occasionally be left ajar ; a lying- 
in woman requires pure air as much as, or more than 
any other person ; but how frequently does a silly 
nurse fancy that it is dangerous for her to breathe 
it! 

733. Unyentilated air is bad air : bad air is bad 
for every one, but especially for a lying-in patient. 
Bad air is only another name for poisoned air ! Bad 
air is spent air, which has been breathed over and 
over again until it has become foul and foetid, and 
quite unfitted to be, what it ought to be, food for 
the lungs. Bad air is a wholesale poisoner. Bad air 
is one cause why the death-rate is so fearfully high ! 
Bad air, bad drains, and bad water — water contami- 
nated with sewer gas from drains or from the water- 
closets — are the three grand executioners of England ; 
they destroy annually tens of thousands of victims, 
selecting especially delicate women and helpless 
children ! 

734. After the labor is over, the blinds ought to be 
put down, and the window curtains drawn, in order 
to induce the patient to have a sleep, and thus to 
rest herself after her hard work. Perfect stillness 
must reign both in the room and in the house. This 
advice is most important. 

735. It is really surprising, in this present enlight- 
ened age, how much ignorance there is still among 
the attendants of a lying-in room : they fancy labor 
to be a disease, instead of being what it really is, a 
natural 2^vocesSy and that old-fashioned notions, and 
not common-sense, ought to guide them. Oh, it is 
sad that a child-bed woman should, of all people in 



288 ADVICE TO A AVIFE. 

the world, be in an especial manner the target for 
folly shafts to aim at ! 

736. The patient should, after the birth of her 
child, be strictly prohibited from talking, and noisy 
conversation ought not to be allowed ; indeed, she 
cannot be kept too quiet, as she may then be induced 
to fall into a sweet sleep, which would recruit her 
wasted strength. As soon as the babe be washed 
and dressed, and the mother be made comfortable 
in bed, the nurse ought alone to remain ; let every 
one else be banished the lying-in room. 

737. Visitors should on no account, until the 
medical man give permission, be allowed to see the 
patient. Many a patient has been made really fever- 
ish and ill by a tliouglitless visitor, connived at by a 
simpleton of a nurse, intruding herself, soon after a 
confinement, into the lying-in room. It should be 
borne in mind, and let tliere be no mistake about it, 
that for the first ten days or a fortnight a lying-in 
woman cannot be kept too quiet ; that excitement, 

at such times, is sure to be followed by debility ; and 1 1 
that excitement is a species of dram-drinking, which 
leaves a sting behind I Bad gettings about are fre- 
quently due to visitors being allowed to see and to 
chatter with lying-in patients. It is high time that 
an end was put to this reprehensible practice. If a 
friend have the patient's welfare really at heart, she 
should not until the expiration of at least ten days, 
visit her. Of course, inquiries may, from time to 
time, be made at the street door, but no visitors, 
during that time, should be admitted into the lying- 
in chamber. I am quite sure that, if this advice 
were followed, much suffering would be averted. 
Perfect rest after confinement is most essential to 
recovery, and is the best of medicines. 



LABOR. — THE BLADDER.. 289 

THE BLADDER. 

738. Ought a ijcdient to go to sleep hefore she have 
made limter ? — There is not the least danger in her 
doing so, although some old-fashioned persons might 
tell her that there was ; nevertheless^ before she goes 
to sleep^ she should, if she has the slightest inclina- 
tiou, respond to it, as it would make her feel more 
comfortable and sleep more sweetly. 

739. Let me urge the importance of the patient, 
iinmecUately after childbirth, making water while she 
is in a lying position. I have known violent flooding 
to arise from a lying-in woman being allowed, soon 
after delivery, to sit up while passing her water. 

740. The ^' slipper bed-pan,'^ ^ previously warmed 
by dipping it in very hot water and then quickly dry- 
ing it, ought, at these times, and for some days after 
a confinement, to be used. It is admirably adapted 
for the purpose, as it takes up but little room, and 
is conveniently shaped, and readily slips under the 
patient, and enables her to make Avater comfortably, 
she being perfectly passive the while. It should be 
passed under her from the front, and not from the 
side of the body. 

741. If there be any difficulty in her making water, 
the medical man must, through the nurse, be imme- 
diately informed of it. False delicacy ought never to 
stand in the way of this advice. It should be borne 
in mind that after either a very lingering or a severe 
labor, there is frequently retention of urine , — that is 
to say, that although the bladder may be full of water, 
the patient is, without assistance, unable to make it. 

742. After the patient, while lying down, trying 

* The slipper bed-pan may be procured either at any re- 
spectable druggist or crockery-store, 
^9 



290- ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

several times to pass her water^ and after allowing 
six or eight hours to elapse, and not being able to 
succeed, it will be well for her to try the following 
method : — Let the nurse place a warm sponge, wrung 
out of hot w^ater, over the lower part of the abdo- 
men, and repeat doing so until the bladder has been 
relieved. 

743. If this be not successful, tw^elve hours having 
elapsed, the doctor must be informed of the fact, and 
it will then be necessary, absolutely necessary, for 
him, by means of a catheter, to draw off the water. 
It might be w^ell to state that the passing of a cath- 
eter is unattended ivith eitlier the diglitest danger or 
7nuch discomfort ; that it is done without exposure, 
and thus w^ithout shocking modesty ; and that it will 
afford instant relief. Sometimes one passing of the 
catheter is sufficient ; at other times it has, for three 
or four days, or even for longer — that is to say, until 
the bladder has recovered its tone — to be joassed daily. 

744. If the patient would during the progress of 
her confinement, more especially if the labor be 
tedious, pass water frequently, say every two or three 
hours, the necessity of passing a catheter, after the 
labor is over, would often be prevented. Now this 
advice is worth bearing in mind. 

THE BOWELS. h 

745. The bowels, after a confinement, are usually | 
costive. This confined state of the bowels after labor 
is doubtless a wise provision of nature, in order to 
give repose to the surrounding parts — especially to 
the womb ; it is well, therefore, not to interfere with 
them, but to let them have for three days perfect rest. 
Sometimes before the expiration of the third day 
the bowels are relieved, either without medicine or 



II 



LABOR. — THE BOWELS. 291 

merely by the taking of a cu]Dfiil of warm coffee. If 
sucli be the case, all well and good, as it is much 
better that the bowels should be relieved ivitliout 
medicine than ivUli medicine ; but if, having taken 
the coffee, at the end of the third day they are not 
opened, then early on the following — the fourth 
morning — a dose of castor oil should be given in the 
manner previously recommended. Either a tea- 
spoonful or a dessert-spoonful, according to the con- 
stitution of the patient, will be the proper dose. If, 
in the course of twelve hours,, it should not have the 
desired effect, it must be repeated. The old-fash- 
ioned custom was to give castor oil the morning after 
the confinement ; this, as I have before proved, was a 
mistaken plan. 

746. After a lying=in, and when the bowels are not 
opened either naturally or by the taking of a cupful 
of warm coffee, if medicine be given by the mouth, 
castor oil is the lest medicine, as it does not irritate 
either the patient^s bowels, or, through the mother^s 
milk, gripe the infant. Aperient pills, as they most 
of them contain colocynth or aloes, or both, fre- 
quently give great pain to the babe, and purge him 
much more than they do the mother herself ; aperi- 
ent pills after a confinement ought therefore never to 
be taken. 

747. If the patient object to the taking of castor 
oil, let the nurse administer an enema of warm water, 
a pint each time. This is an excellent, indeed the 
best, method of opening the bowels, as it neither in- 
terfere with the appetite nor with the digestion ; it 
does away with the nauseousness of castor oil, and 
does not, in the administration, give the slightest 
pain. If the first enema should not have the desired 



292 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

effect, let one be given every quarter of an hour un- 
til relief be obtained. One of the best for the pur- 
pose — if the warm water be not sufficiently active — 
is the following : — 

Take of — Olive Oil, two table-spoonfuls ; 
Table Salt, two table-spoonfuls ; 
Warm Oatmeal Gruel, one pint : 
To make an enema. 

Another capital enema for the purpose is one made 
of Castile soap dissolved in warm water with some 
ordinary salad oil mixed witli it. But if the warm 
water be sufficient for the purpose, so much the better 
— it is far preferable to eitlier of the otliers. Reme- 
dies, provided they be effectual, cannot be too 
simple ; and all that is usually required in such cases 
is, to wash the bowels out, which, as a rule, the warm 
water is of itself quite able to do ; it is therefore de- 
sirable, before any other more complicated enema be 
used, simply to try the warm water only. 

748. If the patient object both to the taking of the 
castor oil and to the administration of an enema, then 
either a teaspoonful of calcined magnesia, mixed in a 
little water, or the following draught, will be found 
useful ; either the one or the other will act kindly, 
and will neither gripe the mother nor the child : — 

Take of — Concentrated Essence of Senna, half an 
ounce ; 
Syrup of Ginger, one drachm ; 
Pure Water, seven drachms ; 
To make a draught. To be taken early in the morning. 

If in twelve hours the above draught should not have 
the desired effect, although if the essence of senna be 
good it usually does long before that time, let the 
draught be repeated. If the bowels be easily moved, 



LABOR. — THE BOWELS. 293 

lialf of the above draught is usually sufficient ; if it 
be not so in twelve hours^ the remainder should be 
taken. Or, one or two teaspoonfuls of an electuary 
of figs^ raisins, and senna may be eaten early in the 
morning— a formula for which will be found in Ad- 
vice to a Mother, The electuary of figs, raisins, and 
senna is pleasant to the palate, and effectual in oper- 
ation. But let every lying-in woman bear in mind 
that as soon as her bowels will act naturally, or by 
the taking of a cuj)f ul of warm coffee, or by the ad- 
ministration of a warm water enema, without an ape- 
rient by the mouth, not a particle of opening medi- 
cine should be swallowed. Much aperient medicine 
is hurtful. 

749. After all, then, that can be said on the sub- 
ject, there is no better method in the world for open- 
ing a lying-in patient^s bowels, when costive, than, 
if the cup of coffee be not sufficiently powerful, by 
giving her an enema of warm water, as advised in 
previous paragraphs. An enema is safe, speedy, 
painless, and effectual, and does not induce costive- 
ness afterwards, while castor oil and all other aperi- 
ents most assuredly dOc 

750. An enema, then, is, both during suckling and 
during pregnancy, an admirable method of opening 
costive bowels, and deserves to be more universally 
adopted than it now is ; fortunately, the plan just 
recommended is making rapid progress, and shortly 
will, at such times, abridge the necessity of adminis- 
tering aperients by the mouth. Aperients by the 
mouth are both a clumsy and a roundabout way of 
opening costive bowels, and sometimes harass the 
patient exceedingly. The lower bowel, and not the 
stomach, w^ants emptying : the stomach wants leav- 



294 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

ing alone, and not to be worried by opening physic I 
The stomach has its proper work to do, namely, to 
digest the food put into it, with which aj^erients 
sadly interfere ; hence the great value, in such cases, 
of an enema, and of keeping the bowels open, when 
possible, by fruit and not by physic, by gentleness 
and not by violence ! 

751. Aperients, after a confinement, were in olden 
times, as a matter of course, repeatedly given both to 
the mother and to the babe, to their utter disgust and 
to their serious detriment ! This was only one of the 
numerous mistakes, prejudices, and follies that 
formerly prevailed in the lying-in room. Unfortu- 
nately, in those days a confinement was looked upon 
as a disease, and to be physicked accordingly ; there 
was some imaginary evil to be driven out ! A better 
state of things is happily now beginning to dawn ; 
but there is a great darkness of ignorance still to be 
dispelled. Ignorance is indeed darkness. 

752. When the patient^s bowels, for the first few 
days after her confinement, require to be opened, she 
ought to use the slipper bed-pan. It is a great im- 
provement on the old-fashioned bed-pan, as it will 
readily slip under the patient, and will enable her, 
while lying down, and while she be perfectly passive 
in bed, to have her bowels relieved, which at these 
times is very desirable. The slipper bed-pan is ad- 
mirably adapted for a lying-in room ; indeed, no 
lying-in room ought to be without it. ^^ A fiannel 
cap for the toe part, held on by strings round the 
heel, will afford considerable comfort to the patient. ^^ 

*' CLEANSINGS "-ABLUTIONS. 

753. The " Cleansingsy — This watery discharge 



i 



LABOR. — '•' CLEAXSIXGS '' — ABLUTIOXS. 295 

occurs directly after a lying-in^ and lasts either a 
week or a fortnight^ and sometimes even longer. It 
is at first of a reddish color ; this gradually changes 
to a brownish huC;, and afterwards to a greenish 
shade ; hence the name of '^ green water.''^ It has in 
some cases a disagreeable odor. A moderate dis- 
charge is necessary, but when it is profuse it weakens 
the patient. 

754. Some ignorant nurses object to have the parts 
bathed after delivery ; they have the impression that 
such a proceeding would give cold. Xow, warm 
fomentations twice a day, and even of tener, either if 
the discharge or if the state of the parts require it, 
are absolutely indispensable to health, to cleanliness, 
and comfort. Ablutions, indeed, at this time are far 
more necessary than at any other period of a woman^s 
existence. Xeglect of bathing the parts, at these 
times, is shameful neglect, and leads to miserable 
consequences. 

755. There is nothing better for the purpose of 
these bathings than a soft sponge and warm water. 
If the parts be very tender and sore, a warm fomen- 
tation, two or three times a day, of marshmallows 
and camomile * will afford relief ; or the parts may 
be bathed with warm well-boiled oatmeal gruel, of 
course without salt. In these cases, too, I have found 
Avarm barm (yeast) and water a great comfort, soon 
giving relief. The parts ought, after each fomen- 
tation, to be well but quickly dried with warm, dry, 
soft towels. The parts, after the bathing and the 
drying, should, by means of a piece of linen rag, be 



* Boil two handfuls of marshmallows and two handfuls 
of camomile blows in two quarts of water for a quarter of 
an hour, and strain. 



296 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

well anointed with salad oil. Warm salad oil, for 
this purpose^ is a most soothing, healing, and com- 
forting dressing, and is far superior to all animal 
greases. 

756. If the internal parts be very sore, it will be 
necessary, two or three times a day, to syringe them 
out by means of an indiarubber vaginal syringe, with 
some of the above remedies. Wliether the external 
or internal parts be tender or sore, the former must 
be bathed wdth hot water several times a day ; and 
the latter should be syringed with warm water night 
and morning, or oftener if required. Hence the im- 
portance of having a good monthly nurse — of hav- 
ing one who thoroughly understands her business. 

757. Let the above rules be strictly followed. Let 

no prejudices and no old-fashioned notions, either of 

the nurse or of any female friend, stand in the way of 

the above advice. Ablution of the parts, then, after 

a confinement, and that frequently, is absolutely 

required, or evil results will, as a matter of course, 

ensue. 

REST AND QUIETUDE. 

758. A horizontal — a level — position for either ten 
days or a fortnight after a labor is important. A 
lady frequently fancies that, if she support her legs, 
it is all that is necessary. Now, this is absurd ; 
it is the womb, and not the legs, which requires rest ; 
and the only way to obtain it is by lying flat either on 
a bed or on a sofa ; for the first fourteen days, day 
and night, on a bed, and then for the next six days 
she ought to be removed for a short period of the day 
either to another bed or to a sofa. The bed or sofa 
should be wheeled to the side of the bed, and she 
should be placed on it by two assistants, one tak- 



LABOR.— REST A^^B QUIETUDE. 297 

ing hold of her shoulders and the other of her hips^ 
and thus lifting her on the bed or sofa^ she herself 
being perfectly passive^ and not allowed to sit erect 
the while. She ought^ during the time she is on the 
sofa^ to maintain the level position. 

759. She ought^ after the first fourteen days^ to 
sit up for a little time ; she should gradually pro- 
long the time of the sitting up ; but still she must^ 
for the first three weeks^ lie down a great part of 
every day. She should^ after the second week^ lie 
either on a sofa or on a horsehair mattress. 

760. The above plan may appear irksome, but my 
experience tells me that it is necessary— absolutely 
necessary. The old saw^ after a confinement^ is 
well worth remembering : '^'^ To be soon well^ be 
long ill.^^ The benefit the patient will ultimately 
reap from perfect rest and quietude will amply 
repay the temporary annoyance. Where the above 
rules have not been adopted^ 1 have known fiooding, 
bearing-down of the womb^ and even ^'^ falling^' of 
the womb^ frequent miscarriages^ and ultimate ruin 
of the constitution^ to ensue. 

761. Poor women who go about too soon after 
their confinements frequently suffer from ^^ falling of 
the womb.^' An abundance of exercise during preg- 
nancy, and perfect rest for a fortnight after labor, 
both the one and the other, cannot be too strongly 
insisted upon. Poor women have the advantage of 
exercise during pregnancy, and ladies of rest after 
labor. The well-to-do lady has the power, if she 
have but the inclination, of choosing the desirable 
and of discarding the objectionable feature of each 
plan ; that is to say, of adopting, as the poor woman 
does, an abundance of exercise iefore her lying-in. 



298 ADVICE TO A AVIFE. 

and of taking, as the rich hidy only can, plenty of rest 
after her confinement. 

7G2. '' Falling of the womb ^' is a disagreeable com- 
plaint, and the misfortune of it is, that every ad- 
ditional child increases the infirmity. Now all this, 
in the majority of cases, might have been prevented, 
if the recumbent posture, for ten days or for a fort- 
night after delivery, had been strictly adopted. 

763. If a patient labor under a ^"^ falling of the 
womb,^^ she ought to apply to a medical man experi- 
enced in such matters. 

DIETARY. 

764. For the fird day the diet should consist of 
nicely-made and well-boiled gruel, arrow-root, and 
milk, bread and milk, tea, dry toast and butter, or 
bread and butter ; taking care not to overload the 
stomach with too much fluid. Therefore, one cup- 
ful of gruel, or of arrow-root, or of tea, at a time, 
should not be exceeded, otherwise the patient will 
feel oppressed ; she will be liable to violent perspira- 
tion, and there will be a too abundant secretion of milk. 
The old prejudice in favor of a low diet during the 
first days following delivery has died out. It is now 
understood that solid food may, in moderation, be 
taken with advantage. 

765. For the next {the second) day : — Breakfast, — 
dry toast and butter, or bread and butter, and black 
tea. Lu7icheo7i, — a breakfast-cupful of strong beef- 
tea,* or of bread and milk, or of arrow-root made 



* There are few persons who know how to make beef- 
tea : let me tell you of a good way — my way — and which, 
as I was the inventor of this particular formula, I beg to 
designate as Pye Chavasse's Beef-tea, Let the cook mince 



II 



LABOR. — DIETARY. 299 

with good fresh milk. Dinner, — chicken or game^ 
mashed potatoes^ and bread. Tea, — the same as for 
breakfast. Siqjjjer, — a breakfast-cupful of well- 
boiled and well-made gruel^ made with water or with 
fresh milk^ or with equal parts of milk and water^ or 
with water with a table-spoonful of cream added to 
it. 

766. If beef-tea and arrow-root and milk be dis- 
tasteful to the patient^ or if they do not agree, then 
for luncheon let her have, instead of the beef-tea or 
the arrow-root, a light egg pudding or a little rice 
pudding. 



very fine — as fine as sausage-meat — one pound of the 
shoulder-blade of beef, taking care that every particle of 
fat be removed ; then let her put the meat either into a 
saucepan or into a digester with tliree iDepper-corns and a 
pint and a half of cold water ; let it be put on the fire to 
boil ; let it slowly boil for an hour, and then let it be 
strained ; and you will have most delicious beef -tea, light, 
and nourishing, grateful to the stomach and palate. When 
cold, carefully skim any remaining fat (if there be any) from 
it, and warm it up when wanted. It is always well, when 
practicable, to make beef-tea the day before it is wanted, 
in order to be able to skim it when quite cold. It may be 
served up with a finger or two of dry toast, and with salt 
to suit the taste. Sometimes the patient prefers the beef- 
tea icithout the pepper-corns ; when such be the case, let 
the pepper-corns be omitted. 

If you wish your beef -tea to be particularly strong and 
nourishing, and if you have any beef bones in the house, 
let them be broken up and slowly boiled in a digester for a 
couple of hours, or even longer, with the finely-minced-up 
beef. 

The Germans boil rice in their beef -tea — which is a great 
improvement — rice making beef-tea much more nourishing, 
wholesome, and digestible. The value of rice, as an article 
of diet, is not in England sufficiently recognized. 



300 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

767. On the tliird and fourth days : — Similar diet 
to the second day, with this difference, that for her 
dinner the patient should have mutton — a mutton 
chop or a cut out of a joint of mutton, instead of the 
chicken or game. The diet ought gradually to be 
improved, so that at the end of four days she should 
return to her usual diet — provided it be plain, whole- 
some, and nourishing. 

768. The 'dihoYe, for the generality of cases, is the 
scale of dietary ; but of course every lying-in woman 
ought not to be treated alike. If she be weak and 
delicate, she may from the beginning require good 1 J 
nourishment, and instead of giving her gruel, it may, i I 
from the very commencement, be necessary to pre- 
scribe good strong beef-tea, veal-and-milk broth,* 
chicken-broth, mutton chops, grilled chicken, game, , 
the yolk and the white of an egg beaten up together 

in half a tea-cupful of good fresh milk, etc. Com- 
mon sense ought, in tlie treatment of a lying-in, as 
of every other patient, to guide us. We cannot treat 
people by rule and compass ; we can only lay down 
general rules. Tliere is no universal guide, then, 
to be followed in the dietary of a lying-in woman ; w - 
each case may and will demand separate treatment, f | 
A delicate woman, as I have just remarked, may, 
from the very first day, require generous living ; 
while, on the other hand, a strong, robust, inflam- 
matory patient may, for the first few days, require 
only simple bland nourishment, without a particle of 
stimulants; '^'^and hence the true secret of success 



* A knuckle of veal boiled in new milk makes a light and 
nourishing food for a delicate lying-in woman. Milk, in 
every shape and form, is an admirable article of food for 
the lying-in room. 



•I 



LABOR. — BEVEKAGE. 301 

rests in the use of coinmon sense and discretion — 
common sense to read Xature aright, and discretion 
in making a right use of what the dictates of Xature 
prescribe/^ — Edward Crossnian, Esq. 

BEVERAGE. 

T69. For the first iceeh : — Toast and water or barley- 
water and milk, with the chill taken off, is the best 
beverage. Barley-water, with or without the milk, 
forms an admirable drink for a lying-in woman ; but, 
in either case, it ought always to be taken flavored 
with table salt. A little salt, then, should always be 
added to barley-water — it takes off its insipidity, it 
gives a relish which it otherwise would not possess. 
Some of my patients like it not only flavored with 
salt, but also slightly sweetened with loaf sugar. 

770. Stimulants during this time, unless the pa- 
tient be weak and exhausted, or unless ordered by 
the medical man, ought not to be given. 

771. All liquids given during this period should be 
administered by means of a feeding cup ; this plan I 
strongly recommend, as it is both a comfort and a 
benefit to the patient ; it prevents her every time she 
has to take fluids from sitting up in bed, and it keeps 
her perfectly still and quiet, which, for the first week 
after confinement, is very desirable. 

772. When she is weak, and faint, and low, it may 
be necessary to give a stimulant, such as either a 
little wine — claret — or a little brandy mixed with hot 
water ; but, as I before remarked, in the generality 
of cases toast aiKl water, or barley-water and milk, 
for the first week after a confinement, is the best 
beverage. 

773. Beverage in hot iveather after a confinement, — 



302 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

An excellent beverage to quench the thirst in hot 
weather, after a confinement, is cold, weak, black tea, 
with very little sugar, but Avitli plenty of cream in it. 

774. Tea, for breakfast and tea, during a ^^ getting 
about, ^^ is better than coffee ; but if tea be distasteful 
to a patient, then either cocoa or chocolate, made 
with one half fresh milk, may be taken. Cocoa and 
chocolate are both invigorating and nourishing, and 
are very suitable as beverages, both at and after a 
confinement. 

775. If the bowels, during a ^^ getting about, ^^ be 
costive, coffee is, from time to time, preferable to 
tea, cocoa, or chocolate ; but not otherwise. Coffee, 

if used regularly, requires the taking of exercise, ■ I 
which, of course, during a ^''getting about ^' is out of 
the question, although an occasional cup of coffee, 
merely to act as an aperient, is often of great serv- 
ice, as it will do away with tlie necessity of a lying- Ml 
in woman swallowing an aperient — which is an ■ ■ 
important consideration. The best time for taking 
the cup of coffee is early in the morning. Coffee, 
then, after a confinement, ought to be taken, not as 
a beverage regularly, but as an aperient occasionally. 

776. After a week, either a tumblerful of mild 1 1 
home-brewed ale, or of London or of Dublin porter, 
where it agrees, should be taken at dinner ; but if ale 

or porter be given, wine ought not to be allowed. It 
would be well to keep either to ale or to porter, as 
may best agree, and not to mix them, nor to take 
porter at one meal and ale at another, 

777. In this case, porter from tfte cask is superior 
to that in bottles, as it contains less fixed air. Old, 
or very new, or very strong ale, ought not at this 
time to be given. 



LABOR. — BEVERAGE. 303 

778. Great care is required in the summer^ as the 
warm weather is apt to turn the beer acid. Such 
beer would not only disagree with the mother^ but 
would disorder the milk^ and thus the infant. 

779. Sometimes neither wine nor malt liquor agree ; 
then equal parts of new milk and water^ or equal 
parts of fresh milk and barley-water^ will generally 
be found the best average. If milk should also dis- 
agree^ either barley-water, or toast and water, ought 
to be substituted. 

780. Milk will often be made to agree with a nurs- 
ing mother if she will alivays take it mixed with an 
equal quantity of water. The water added to the 
milk — in the proportions indicated — prevents the 
milk from binding up the bowels, which it otherwise 
would do ; not only so, but milk without the addition 
of an equal quantity of water is usually too heavy for 
the stomach easily to digest. 

781. I have for nearly forty years paid great atten- 
tion to the subject, and have come to the conclusion 
that water is a most valuable aperient. Milk by itself 
binds up the bowels, producing obstinate costiveness. 
Now, the mixing of an equal quantity of water with the 
milk entirely deprives the milk of its binding quali- 
ties, and keeps the bowels in a regular state. These 
facts are most important to bear in mind. I know 
them to be facts, having had great experience in the 
matter, having made the subject my especial study. 
I had the honor of first promulgating the doctrine 
that water, in proper quantities, was a valuable ape- 
rient ; and that water, in due proportions, mixed with 
milk, prevented the milk from confining the bowels, 
which it otherwise would do. 



304 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

CHANGE OF ROOM. 

782. The period at ivliich a hjing4n woma?i should 
leave her room will, of course, depend upoi> the sea- 
son, and upon the state of her health. She may 
change, after the first twenty-one days, the chamber 
for the drawing-room, provided it be close at hand ; 
if it be not, she ought, during the day, to remove — 
be either wheeled or carried in a chair — from one 
bedroom to another, as change of apartment will then 
be desirable. The windows, during her absence from 
the room, ought to be thrown wide open ; and the 
bed-clothes, in order that they may be well venti- 
lated, should be thrown back. She may at the end 
of four weeks begin to take her meals with the fam- 
ily ; but even then she ought occasionally, during 
the day, to lie on the sofa, to rest her back. Some 
ladies fancy that if they rest their legs on a sofa that 
is sufficient ; but it is their backs, and not their legs, 
that require support ; and to procure rest for their 
backs they must lie on their backs. 

EXERCISE IN THE OPEN AIR. 

783. The period at which a lady ought, after her 
confinement, to take exercise in the ojjen air, will, of 
course, depend upon the season, and upon the state 
of the wind and weather. In the winter, not until 
the expiration of a month, and not even then unless 
the weather be fine for the season. Carriage exercise 
will at first be the most suitable. In the summer she 
may, at the end of four weeks, take an airing in a 
carriage, provided the weather be fine, and the wind 
be neither in an easterly nor in a north-easterly direc- 
tion. At the expiration of the fifth week, she may, 
provided the season and weather will allow, go out of 



I 



LABOR. — HOUSEHOLD EMPLOYMEXT. 305 

doors regularly^ and gradually resume her household 
duties and employments. 

HOUSEHOLD EMPLOYMEXT. 
784. Some persons haye an idea that a wife, for 
some months after childbirth, should be treated as an 
inyalid — should lead an idle life. This is an error ; 
for of all people in the world, a nursing mother should 
remember that '^ employment is Xature^s physician, 
and is essential to human happiness."' — Galen. The 
best nurses and the healthiest mothers, as a rule, are 
working men's wiyes, who are employed from morn- 
ing until night, who haye no spare time unemployed 
to feel neryous, or to make complaints, or to make a 
fuss about aches and pains ; indeed, so well does 
^^XatmVs physician"" — employment — usually make 
them feel, that they haye really no aches or pains at all, 
either real or imaginary, of which to complain, but 
are hearty and strong, happy and contented ; indeed, 
the days are too short for them. Working men"s 
wiyes haye usually splendid breasts of milk — enough 
and to spare for their infants ; while ladies of for- 
tune, who haye nothing to do, haye not half enough, 
and eyen in mauy cases none at all, for their babies ! 
Oh, what a blessed thing is occupation ! But I am 
anticipating ; I will speak more at large on this sub- 
ject in the following Part — Part lY., Suckling — for 
which I craye my fair reader"s especial attention, it 
being one of great importance, not only to herself, 
but to the well-doing and well-being of her child. 

20 



PART IV. 



SUCKLING. 



The hour arrives, the moment wished and fear'd ; 

The child is born, by many a jmng endeared ! 

And now the mother'' sear has caught his cry — 

Oh ! grant the cherub to her asking eye I 

He comes— she clasps him ; to her bosom pressed, 

He drinks the balm of life, and drops to re«f.— Rogers. 

Tts siveet to view the siiiless baby rest. 

To drink its life-spring from her nursing breast ; 

And mark the smiling mother's mantling eyes. 

While hnsh'd beneath the helpless infant lies ; 

How fondly pure that unobtruding pray'r 

Breathed gently o'er the listless sleeper there. — R. Montgomery. 

TJie starting beverage meets the thirsty lips ; 
^Tisjoy to yield it, and 'tis joy to sip.— Roscok. 



THE DUTIES OF A NURSING MOTHER. 

785. A mother ought not, unless she intend to de- 
vote herself to her baby, to undertake to suckle him. 
She must make up her mind to forego the so-called 
pleasures of a fashionable life. There ought in a 
case of this kind to be no half-and-half measures ; she 
should either give up her helpless babe to the tender 
mercies, of a nurse, or she must devote her whole 
time and energy to his welfare — to the greatest treas- 
ure that God has given her. 

306 



-SUCKLII^G. — DUTIES OF A KUESING MOTHER. 307 

786. If a mother be blessed \Yith health and 
strength^ and if she have a good breast of milk^ it is 
most unnatural and very cruel for her not to suckle 
her child — 

*^ Connubial fair ! whom no fond transport warms 
To lull your infant in maternal arms ; 
Who, blessed in vain with tumid bosoms, hear 
His tender wailings with unfeeling ear ; 
The soothing kiss and milky rill deny 
To the sweet pouting lip and glistening eye ! 
Ah ! what avails the cradle's damask roof, 
The eider bolster, and embroidered woof ! 
Oft hears the gilded couch unpitied plains, 
And many a tear the tassell'd cushion stains ! 
No voice so sweet attunes his cares to rest, 
So soft no pillow as his mother's breast ! — 
Thus charmed to sweet repose, when twilight hours 
Shed their soft influence on celestial bowers, 
The cherub Innocence, with smile divine, 
Shuts his white wings, and sleeps on beauty's shrine." 

Darwin, 

787. A mother who is able to suckle her child, but 
who, nevertheless, will not do so, can have but little 
love for him. ; and as indifference begets indifference, 
there will not be much love lost between them ; such 
a mother is not likely to look after her children, but 
to leave them to the care of servants. Of such a 
family it may truly be said — 

** There children dwell who know no parent's care ; 
Parents who know no children's love dwell there." 

Crabhe, 

788. If a mother did but know the happiness that 
suckling her babe imparts, she would never for one 
moment contemplate leaving a nurse to rob her of 
that happiness. Lamentable, indeed, must it be, if 



i 



308 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

any unavoidable obstacles should prevent her from 
nursing her own child. 

789. Moreover^ if a mother does not suckle her 
child herself, she is very likely soon to be in the fam- 
ily-way again. This is an important consideration, 
as frequent child-bearing is much more weakening 
to the constitution than is the suckling of children 
indeed, nursing, as a rule, instead of weakening, j 
strengthens the mother^s frame exceedingly, and as- 
sists her muscular development. '^ Those mothers] 
who nurse and cherish their own offspring are not] 
only more truly motherSy but they have a double re- 
ward in that, wliile their cliildren thrive and thus 
gladden their hearts, they themselves are also very 
materially benefited. Xo woman is so healthy as she 
who bears healthy children healthily. ^^ — Dr. Alfred 
Wiltshire, 

790. If the young of animals were not suckled by 
their own mothers, what an immense number of them 
would die ! What an unnatural state of things it 
would be considered ! And yet it is not at all more 
unnatural than for a healthy woman, with a good 
breast of milk, not to nurse, or only partially to nurse, 
her own babe : — ^^ Were the suckling animal to deny 
her milk to her offspring, or to feed them with any^ I 
other sort of food ; were the feathered tribes to fail * ■ 
in gathering the natural food of their young, or to 
fail in taking it into their ow^n stomachs, to adapt it 

to their digestive powers ; and were the insect tribes 
to deposit their eggs in situations where their pro- 
geny could not find their natural food, or to fail in 
laying up with their eggs a store of Nature's food, 
to be in readiness when they are hatched and brought 
forth ; were the instincts of Nature to fail in these 



SUCKLIXG. — DUTIES OF A XURSIXG MOTHEK. 309 

things, disease and death to the whole of these dif- 
ferent classes of animals would most infallibly ensue : 
each individual race would become extinct.'^ — Dr. 
Herclman. 

791. A mother should remember that, if she be 
strong enough to become pregnant, to carry her bur- 
den for nine months, and at the end of that time to 
bear a child, she, as a rule, is strong enough to nurse 
a child. Suckling is a healthy process, and not a 
disease, and is, therefore, usually most beneficial to 
health : — ^^ What, then, must happen if a mother 
does not nurse her infant ? Disease must happen. 
For by so doing she violates the laws and institutions 
of Nature, which cannot be done with impunity ; 
cannot be done without throwing the constitution 
into disorder and disease ; into disease both general 
and local ; swellings, inflammations, and suppurations 
in the breasts ; milk-fevers and milk-sores. Besides, 
if a mother does not nurse her infant, her constitu- 
tion is either so much injured that she becomes bar- 
ren, or if this should not happen, she becomes preg- 
nant again, and the injurious effects of frequent child- 
bearing without nursing are not to be told. The 
constitution may stand it out a while ; but at last 
derangement of constitution and disease will come ; 
premature old age, and premature death. '^ — Dr, 
Herclman, It is very cruel and most unnatural for 
a mother, if she be able, not to nurse her own child ; 
even the brute beasts, vile and vicious though they 
be, suckle their offs23riug : — "'* Even the sea monsters 
draw out the breast ; they give suck to their young 
ones ; the daughter of my people is become cruel, like 
the ostriches in the wilderness.'''' — Lamentations. 
Some old nurses recommend a mother to partly nurse 



310 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

and to partly feed a new-born babe. Now, this is a 
mistake ; there is nothing like, for the first few 
months — for the first four or five — bringing up the 
child on the mother's milk, and on the mother's milk 
alone. After the first four or five months, if the 
mother should not have enough milk, then let tlie 
child be weaned, and brought up solely on artificial 
food. Of this I have advised very fully in two of my 
other works — Advice to a Motlier and Counsel to a 
Mother y to which works, for such information, I beg 
to refer my fair reader. 

702. Ponder well, therefore, before it be too kite, 
on what I have said — liealth of motlier and health of 
babe, human life and human happiness are at stake 
and depend upon a true decision. 
THE BREAST. 

793. As soon as the patient has recovered from the 
fatigue of her labor — that is to say, in about four or 
six hours — attention ought, more especially in a first 
confinement, to be paid to the bosoms. 

794. In Si first confinement there is, until the third 
day, but very little milk ; although there is usually 
on that day, and for two or three days afterwards, a 
great deal of swelling, hardness, distention, and un- 
easiness of the breasts ; in consequence of which, in 
a first confinement, both care and attention are 
needed. 

795. Not only so, but there is frequently, at this 
time, a degree of feverishness ; which, in some cases, 
is rather severe, amounting even to what is called 
milk-fever. Now, milk-fever, if circumspection and 
pains be not taken to prevent it, may usher in a bad 
gathered breast. 

796. If there be milk in the breasts, which may be 



SUCKLING. — THE BREAST. 311 

readily ascertained by squeezing the nipple between 
the finger and the thumbs the infant should at first 
be applied^ not frequently, as some do^ but at con- 
siderable intervals, say, until the milk be properly 
secreted, every four hours ; when the milk flows, the 
child ought to be applied more frequently, but still 
at stated times. 

797. The child ought never to be allowed to be 
put to the nipple until it be first satisfactorily ascer- 
tained that there be really milk in the bosom ; neg- 
lect of this advice has caused many a gathered 
breast, and has frequently necessitated the weaning 
of the child. 

798. To wash away any viscid mucus from the 
nipple, or any stale perspiration from the bosom, let 
the breasts and the nipples, before applying the babe, 
be first sponged with a little warm water, and then 
be dried with a warm, dry, soft napkin ; for some in- 
fants are so particular, that unless the breasts are 
perfectly free from stale perspiration, and the nipples 
from dried-up milk, they will not suck. If after the 
above cleansing process there be any difficulty in 
making him take the bosom, smear a little cream on 
the nipple, and then immediately apply him to it. 

799. If the breasts be full, hard, knotty, and pain- 
ful, which they generally are two or three days after 
a first confinement, let them be well but tenderly 
rubbed, every four hours^ with, the best olive oil, a 
little of which should, before using it, be previously 
warmed, by putting a little of the oil, in a tea-cup on 
the hob by the fire ; or with equal parts of olive oil 
and of Eau de Cologne, which should be well shaken 
up in a bottle every time before it is used ; or with 
what is an old-fashioned but an excellent embroca- 



312 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

tion for the purpose^ namely, with goose oil, or with 
camphorated oil. 

800. If the bosoms be more than usually large and 
painful, in addition to assiduously using the one or 
the other of the above liniments, apply to the breasts, 
in the intervals, young cabbage leaves, which should 
be renewed after each rubbing. Before applying 
them, the ^^ veins ^^ of the leaves should, with a sharp 
knife, be cut smooth — level with the leaf. It will 
require several, as the whole of the breast ought to 
be covered. The cabbage leaves will be found both 
cooling and comforting. Then, with a soft folded 
silk handkerchief, each bosom should be nicely sup- 
ported, the handkerchief going under each breast and 
suspending it ; each handkerchief should then be tied 
at the back of the neck — thus acting as a kind of 
sling to each bosom. 

801. The patient ought not, while the breasts are 
full and comfortable, to drink much fluid, as it would 
only encourage a larger secretion of milk. 

802. When the milk is at '^ its height,^^ as it is 
called, she ought every morning, for a couple of 
mornings, to take a little cooling medicine — a Seid- 
litz powder — and every four hours the following 
effervescing mixture : 

Take of — Bicarbonate of Potash, one drachm and a 
half ; Distilled Water, eight ounces : 
To make a mixture. — Two tablespoon fuls to be taken with 
two tablespoonfuls of the Acid Mixture, every four 
hours, while effervescing. 

Take of — Citric Acid, three draclims ; 

Distilled Water, eight ounces : 
Mix. — The Acid Mixture. 
The best way of taking the above effervescing medi- 
cine is to put two tablespoonfuls of the first mixture 



SUCKLI>^G. — THE BREAST. 313 

into a tumbler, and two table-spoonfuls of the acid 
mixture into a wine-glass, then to add the latter to the 
former, and it will bubble up like soda-water ; she 
should instantly drink it ofE whilst effervescing. 

803. The size of the bosoms under the above man- 
agement will in two or three days decrease, all pain 
will cease, and the infant will, with ease and comfort, 
take the breast. 

804. Second and succeeding Confinements. — If the 
breasts are tolerably comfortable, which in the second 
and in succeeding confinements they probably will be, 
let nothing be done to them, except, as soon as the 
milk comes, applying the child, at regular intervals, 
alternately to each of them. Many a bosom has been 
made uncomfortable, irritable, swollen, and even has 
sometimes gathered through the nurse's interference 
and meddling. Meddlesome midwifery is bad, and 
I am quite sure that meddlesome breast-tending is 
equally so. A nurse, in her wisdom, fancies that by 
rubbing, by pressing, by squeezing, by fingering, by 
liniment, and by drawing, that she does great good, 
while in reality, in the majority of cases, by such in- 
terference she does great harm. 

805. The child will, in second and in succeeding 
confinements, as a rule, be the best and only doctor 
the bosoms require. I am quite convinced that, in a 
general way, nurses interfere too much, and that the 
bosoms in consequence suffer. It is, of course, the 
doctor^s and not the nurse's province, in such matters, 
to direct the treatment ; while it is the nurse^s duty 
to fully carry out the doctor's instructions. 

806. There is nothing, in my opinion, that so truly 
tells whether a nurse be a good one or otherwise, than 
by the way she manages the breasts. A good nurse is 



314 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

judicious, and obeys the doctor^s orders to the very 
letter ; while , on the other hand, a iad nurse acts on 
her own judgment, and is always quacking, interfer- 
ing, and fussing with the breasts, and doing on the 
sly what she dare not do openly. Such conceited, 
meddlesome nurses are to be studiously avoided ; 
they often cause the breasts to gather from their 
meddlesome ways. 

807. Let the above advice be borne in mind, and 
much trouble, misery, and annoyance will be averted ! 
Nature, in the majority of cases,* manages these things 
much better than any nurse possibly can do, and 
does not, as a rule, require helping. The breasts are 
sadly too much interfered with and handled by 
nurses, and by nurses wlio are in other respects toler- 
ably good ones. No ; Nature is usually best left 
alone : she works in secret, deftly and well, and 
resents interference — more especially in the cases I 
have just described. Nature, then, is generally best 
left alone. As Chaucer beautifully expresses — it 

*' Nature, the vicar of the Almightie Lord." 

MILK-FEVER OR WEED. 

808. The lying-in patient is liable a few days — gen- 
erally on the third day after her confinement, while the 
milk is about being secreted — to a feverish attack, 
called Milk-Fever, or Weed, or Ephemeral Fever. 
It truly is ephemeral, as it lasts only twenty-four 
hours, or at most, unless some untoward mischief 
should intervene, forty-eight hours. It comes on like 
an ague fit, having its three stages — its cold stage, 
its hot stage, and its sweating stage. There is usually 
accompanying it headache ; and pains flying about the 
one or both the breasts, the back, and the lower part of 
the abdomen. 



SUCKLING.— STATED TIMES FOR SUCKLT:N"G. 315 

809. The AVeed, on the due secretion of the milk, 
usually passes off", leaving no damage in its track ; 
yet, notwithstanding, it sometimes does leave injury 
behind, either in the womb or in the breast — causing 
in some instances, a bad gathered bosom. 

810. The Weed, therefore, requires great care and 
attention, both from the doctor and from the nurse. 
To ward off such a serious disease as a gathered bosom 
— as a gathering of the deep-seated structure of the 
breast — every caution is necessary. 

STATED TIMES FOR SUCKLING. 

811. After the new-born babe is washed, he gen- 
erally falls asleep, and, if not disturbed, sleeps on for 
several hours. It is not necessary to rouse him from 
his slumber to give him sustenance — certainly not ; 
the mother's milk is not always ready for him ; but 
as soon as it is, he instinctively awakes, and becomes 
importunate, and cries until he is able to obtain it. 
Xature — beneficent Nature — if w^e will but listen to 
her voice, will usually tell us tcJiat to do and zvJiat not 
to do. The teasing of a mother^s breasts by putting 
the babe to them before there be milk, and the stuff- 
ing of a new-born infant with artificial food, are evils 
of great magnitude, and cannot be too strongly con- 
demned. 

812. A mother ought to suckle her babe at stated 
times. It is a bad habit to give him the bosom every 
time he cries, regardless of the cause ; for be it what it 
may — overfeeding, griping, ^''wind,^^ or acidity — she 
is apt to consider the breast a panacea for all his 
sufferings. ^^A mother generally suckles her baby 
too often, having him almost constantly at the breast. 
This practice is injurious both to parent and to child. 
For the first month he ought to be suckled about 



316 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

every hour and a half ; for the second month, every 
two hours — gradually mcreasing, as he becomes older, 
the distance of time between, until at length he has 
it about every four hours. If he were suckled at 
stated periods he would only look for the bosom at 
those times, and be satisfied. ^^ — Advice to a Mother, 

813. A mother frequently allows her babe to be at 
the bosom a great part of every night. Now, this plan 
is hurtful both to her and to him ; it weakens her, 
and thus enfeebles him ; it robs them both of their 
sleep ; and generates bad habits, which it will be diffi- 
cult to break through ; it often gives the mother a 
sore nipple and the child a sore mouth ; it sometimes 
causes the mother to have a gathered breast, and fills 
the child with " wind.'' 

814. It is surprising how soon an infant, at a very 
early age, may, by judicious management, be brought 
into good habits. It only requires, at first, a little 
determination and perseverance. A nursing mother 
therefore ought at once to commence by giving her 
child the breast at stated periods, and should rigidly 
adhere to the times above recommended. 

815. A mother should not, directly after taking a 
long walk, and while her skin is in a state of violent 
perspiration, give her babe the bosom ; the milk, 
being at that time in a heated state, will disorder lier 
child's bowels. She ought, therefore, before she gives 
him the breast, to wait until the surface of her body 
has become moderately cool, but not cold. Let her 
be careful the while not to sit in draughts. 

CLOTHING. 

816. A nursing mother ought to have her dress, 
more especially her stays, made loose and comfortable. 

817. A gathered breast sometimes arises from the 



SUCKLING. — DIETARY. 317 

bones of the stays pressing into the bosom ; I should^ 
therefore^ recommend her to have the bones removed. 

818. If a lady be not in the habit of wearing a 
flannel waistcoat^ she ought at least to have her 
bosoms covered with flannel^ taking care that there 
be a piece of soft linen over the nipples. 

819. I should advise a nursing mother to provide 
herself with a waterproof nursing-apron^ which may 
be procured either at any baby-linen establishment or 
at an indiarubber warehouse. 

DIETARY. 

820. A nursing mother ought to live plainly ; her 
diet should be both light and nourishing. It is a mis- 
taken notion that at these times she requires extra 
good living. She ought never to be forced to eat 
more than her appetite demands ; if she is^ indiges- 
tion^ heartburn, sickness, costiveness, or a bowel com- 
plaint will ensue. It is folly at any time to force the 
appetite. If she be not hungry, compelling her to 
eat will do her more harm than good. A medical 
man in such a case ought to be consulted. 

821. The best meats are mutton and beef; veal 
and pork may, for a change, be eaten. Salted meats 
are hard of digestion ; if boiled beef, therefore, be 
eaten, it ought to be only slightly salted. It is better, 
in winter, to have the boiled beef unsalted ; it is then, 
especially if it be the rump, deliciously tender. Salt, 
of course, must be eaten with the unsalted meat. 
Highly-seasoned dishes are injurious ; they inflame 
the blood, and thus they disorder the milk. 

822. Some persons consider that there is no care 
required in the selection of the food, and that a nurs- 
ing mother may eat anything, be it ever so gross and 
unwholesome ; but if we appeal to reason and to facts 



318 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

we shall be borne out in saying that great care is re- 
quired. It is well known that cow's milk very much 
partakes of the properties of the food on which the 
animal lives. Thus, if a cow feeds on swedes, the 
milk and the butter will have a turnipy flavor. This, 
beyond a doubt, decides that the milk does partake 
of the qualities of the food on which she feeds. The 
same reasoning holds good in the human species, and 
proves the absurdity of a nursing mother being al- 
lowed to eat anything, be it ever so gross, indigestible 
or unwholesome. Again, a dose of purgative medicine 
given to her, or greens taken by her at dinner, will 
sometimes purge the baby as violently, or even more 
so, than it will the mother herself. 

823. Even the milk of a healthy wet nurse acts 
differently, and less beneficially upon the child than 
the mother's oivn milk. The ages of the mother and 
of the wet nurse, the ages of her own and of the 
latter's infant, the constitutions of the one and of the 
other, the adaptability of a mother's milk for A^r own 
particular child — all tend to make a foster-mother 
not so desirable a nurse as the mother herself. Again, 
a mother cannot at all times get to the antecedents of 
a wet nurse ; and if she can, they will not always bear 
investigation. 

824. With regard to the ages of the mother and of 
the wet nurse — for instance, as a wet nurse's milk is 
generally a few weeks older than the mother's own 
milk, the wet nurse's milk may, and frequently does 
produce costiveness of the bowels of her foster-child ; 
whilst, on the other hand, the mother's own milk, 
being in age just adapted to her babe's, may and gen- 
erally does, keep her own infant's bowels regular. 
The milk, according to the age of the child, alters in 



SUCKLING. — DIETARY. 319 

property and quality to suit the age, constitution, 
and acquirements of her baby — adapting itself, so to 
speak, to his progressive development : hence the 
importance of a mother, if possible, suckling her own 
child. 

825. A babe who is nursed by a mother who lives 
grossly is more prone to disease, particularly to skin 
and to inflammatory complaints, and to disease which 
is more difficult to subdue. On the other hand, a 
nursing mother, who, although she lives on nourish- 
ing diet, yet simply and plainly, has usually the 
purest, as well as the most abundant, supply of milk. 

826. Do not let me be misunderstood. I am not 
advocating that a mother should be unnecessarily 
particular — by no means. Let her take a variety of 
food, both animal and vegetable ; let her from day 
to day vary her diet ; let her ring the changes on 
boiled and stewed, on grilled and roast meats ; on 
mutton, and lamb, and beef ;' on chicken, and game, 
and fish ; on vegetables, j)otatoes, and turnips ; on 
broccoli and cauliflower ; on asparagus and peas 
(provided they be young and well boiled), and French 
beans : — '^The maxim of the greatest importance in 
reference to the materials of human food is, mixture 
and variety — a maxim founded, as has been stated, 
upon man^s omnivorous nature. Animal and vege- 
table substances, soups, and solid meat, fish, flesh, 
and fowl, in combination or succession, ought, if due 
advantage is to be taken of the health-sustaining 
element in food, to form the dietary of every house- 
hold/'— (?oo^ Words. 

827. But what I object to a nursing mother taking 
are : gross meats, such as goose and duck ; highly- 
salted beef ; shell-fish, such as lobster and crab ; rich 



330 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

dishes ; higlily-seasoned soup ; pastry, unless it be 
plain ; cabbages, and greens, and pickles, if found 
to disagree with the babe ; and with any other article 
of food which is rich, or gross, or indigestible, and 
which, from experience, she has found to disagree 
either with herself or with her child. It will there- 
fore be seen, from the above catalogue, that my 
restrictions as to diet are limited, and are, I hope, 
founded both on reason and on common-sense — which 
ought to be the guides and counselors of every nurs- 
ing mother, and of every one else besides. 

828. A moderate quantity — say a tumblerful — 
either of fresh mild ale or of porter will generally be 
found the best beverage both for dinner and for sup- 
per. There is more nourishment in ale and porter 
than in wine ; therefore, for a nursing mother, eitlier 
ale or porter is far preferable to wine. Wine, if taken 
at all, ouglit to be used very sparingly, and then not 
at the same meal with tlie porter or ale. Where a 
lady is in the habit of drinking wine, it is necessary 
to continue it, although the quantity should not be 
increased, and ought never to exceed a couple of 
glasses — good claret being the best for the purpose. 

829. A nursing mother is subject to thirst : when 
such is the case, she ought not to fly either to beer 
or to wine to quench it ; this will only add fuel to 
the fire. The best beverages will be toast and water, 
milk and water, barley-water, barley-water and new 
milk in equal proportions,^ or black tea, either hot or 
cold : cold black tea is a good quencher of thirst. 

830. A lady who is nursing is at times liable to fits 
of depression. Let me strongly urge the importance 
of her abstaining from wine and from all other stimu- 
lants as a remedy ; they would only raise her spirits 



SUCKLING. — DIETAKY. 321 

for a time^ and then depress them in an increased 
ratio. A drive in the country, or a short walk, or a 
cup of tea, or a chat with a friend, would be the 
best medicine. The diet should be good and nourish- 
ing ; plenty of bread and plenty of meat should be 
her staple food, in addition to which corn-flour, made 
either with fresh milk or with cream and water, is in 
these cases most useful and sustaining. The best 
time for taking it is either for luncheon or for supper. 
A lady subject to depression should bear in mind that 
she requires nourishment, not stimulants, — that much 
wine and spirits might cheer her for the moment, but 
will assuredly depress her afterwards. Depression 
always foUow^s over-stimulation ; wine and spirits, 
therefore, in such a case, if taken largely, are false 
and hollow friends. It is Jiecessary to bear the above 
facts in mind, as there are many advocates Avho 
strongly recommend, in a case of this kind, a large 
consumption both of wine and brandy. At the 
present moment such persons are doing an immense 
deal of mischief in the world ; they are, in point of 
fact, inducing and abetting drunkenness ; they are 
the authors of blighted hopes, of blasted prospects, 
of broken health, and of desolated homes ! How 
many a wife owes her love of stimulants, and her 
consequent degradation and destruction, to a stimu- 
lant having been at first prescribed for her for some 
trifling ailment. I will maintain that it is highly 
dangerous to prescribe a stimulant to any patient, 
unless her case urgently demand it — unless it be, 
in point of fact, a case of life or death. It is em- 
phatically playing with a deadly poison, tempting to 
evil, and courting disease, destruction, and death. 
831. Stimulants— as brandy, rum, gin, and whisky 

21 



322 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

— are most injurious during suckling. I may even 
say that they are to the parent^ and indirectly to the 
child, insidious poisons. 

832. When an infant is laboring under an inflam- 
matory complaint, a nursing mother ought not to 
take stimulants, such as either ale or wine. In a 
case of this kind, toast and water for her dinner will 
be the best beverage ; gruel for her supper ; and black 
tea — not coffee, as it would be too stimulating — both 
for her breakfast and tea. 

FRESH AIR AND EXERCISE. 

833. Outdoor exercise during suckling cannot be 
too strongly insisted u2)on ; it is the finest medicine 
both for babe and mother. Whenever the weather 
will admit, it must be taken. It is utterly impossible 
for a nursing mother to make good milk unless she 
takes an abundance of exercise, and breathes plenty 
of fresh air. 

834. Whatever improves the lieulth of the mother, 
of course, at the same time benefits tlie child : there 
is nothing more conducive to health than an abun- 
dance of outdoor exercise. It often happens that a 
mother who is nursing seldom leaves her house ; she 
is a regular fixture, or like a plant that vegetates in 
one spot ; the consequence is both she and her babe 
are usually delicate and prone to sickness ; — it would, 
indeed, be strange if they were not. 

835. A mother ought not to nurse her infant imme- 
diately after taking exercise, but should wait for half 
an hour ; nor should she take violent exercise, as it 
would be likely to disorder the milk. 

836. Carriage exercise, if the weather be hot and 
sultry, is preferable to walking ; if that be not 
practicable, she ought to have the windows thrown 



SUCKLIXG. — THE TEMPER. 323 

wide open^ and should walk about the hall^ the land- 
ings^ and the rooms^ as she would by such means 
avoid the intense heat of the sun. Although car- 
riage exercise during intensely hot weather is prefer- 
able to walking exercise ; yet^, notwithstanding^ walk- 
ing must^ during some portion of the day, be practised. 
There is no substitute^ as far as health is concerned, 
for walking. Many ailments that ladies now labor 
under could be walked away ; and really it would be 
a pleasant physic — far more agreeable and effectual 
than either pill or potion I 
THE POSITION OF A MOTHER DURING SUCKLING. 

837. Good habits are as easily formed as bad ones. 
A mother, when in bed, ought always to suckle her 
child while lying down. The sitting up in bed, 
during such times, is a fruitful source of inflamma- 
tion and of gatherhig of the breasts. Of course, 
during the day, the sitting-up position is the best. 
Let me caution her not to nurse her babe in a half 
sitting and in a half -lying posture, as many mothers 
do ; it will spoil her figure, disturb her repose, and 
weaken her back. 

THE TEMPER. 

838. Passion is injurious to the mother's milk and 
consequently to the child. Sudden joy and grief fre- 
quently disorders the infant's bowels, producing grip- 
ing, looseness, etc. ; hence, a mother who has a mild, 
placid, even temper generally makes an excellent nurse. 
It is a fortunate circumstance that she is frequently 
better tempered during suckling than at any other 
period of her life ; indeed, she usually, at such times, 
experiences great joy and gladness. 

839. The happiest period of a woman's existence 
is, as a rule, when she first becomes a mother. 



324 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

'^The pleasure of the young mother in her babe is 
said to be more exquisite than any other earthly 
bliss/'' — Good Words, 

840. It is an old, and I believe, a true saying, that 
the child inherits the temper of liis mother. This 
may be owing to the following reasons : — If the 
mother be good-tempered, the milk will more likely 
be wholesome, which will of course make the child 
more healthy, and consequently better tempered ; 
while, on the other hand, if the mother be of an irri- 
table, cross temper, the milk will suffer, and will 
thus cause a derangement of the chiUFs system ; and 
hence, ill-health and ill-temper will be likely to en- 
sue. We all know the influence that good or bad 
health has on the temper. An important reason, 
then, why a nursing mother is often better tempered 
than at other times is, she is in better health, her 
stomach is in a healthier state — 

** A good digestion turneth all to health." — Wordsivorth, 
There is an old and true saying, that it is the stom- 
ach that makes the man, and if the man, the woman 

also — 

*' Your stomach makes your fabric roll, 
Just as the bias rules the bowl." — Prior 

841. Depend upon it, that, after all that can be 
said on the subject, it is a good stomach that makes 
both man and woman strong, and conduces so much 
to longevity. If the stomach be strong, there is a 
keen appetite and a good digestion, and in conse- 
queace of such a happy combination, good health 
and long life — 

" Now good digestion wait on appetite, 
And health on both ! ''—Shakspeare. 

842. Inquire of your friends who are octogenarians, 



THE TEMPER. 325 

and you will almost invarialDly find that they have 
wonderfully strong stomachs^ and^ consequently, 
good appetites and splendid digestions I And if 
perchance they have severe illnesses, how surprisingly 
they pull through them ! A good stomach, then, is 
much to be coveted ; but both self-denial and con- 
sideration are requisite to ensure one. 

843. Cheerfulness, too, is mainly owing to a good 
stomach. A melancholic person is usually a dyspep- 
tic ; while a cheerful person is generally blessed with 
a good digestion. It is the stomach, then, that has 
the principal making of a cheerful disposition ! It 
is a moral impossibility for a dyspeptic to be thor- 
oughly happy, contented, or cheerful, A good stom- 
ach fills the possessors heart with joy, causes the face 
to gleam with gladness, and thus — 

*' Make sunshine in a shady place." 

844. Hear what Shakespeare says of the functions 
of the stomach. The stomach is supposed to speak. 
Does it not frequently speak, and in very unmis- 
takable language, if we will but only listen to its 
voice ?— 

" True is it, my incorporate friends, quoth he, 
That I receive the general food at first 
Which yon do live upon : and fit it is ; 
Because I am the storehouse and the shop 
Of the whole body : But if you do remember, 
I send it through the rivers of your blood, 
Even to the court, the heart, — to the seat o' the brain ; 
And through the cranks and offices of man, 
The strongest nerves, and small inferior veins. 
From me receive that natural competency 
Whereby they live : And though that all at once, 
You, my good friends, though all at once cannot 
See what I do deliver out to each ; 



326 ADVICE TO A WIFK. 

Yet I can make my audit up, that all 
From me do back receive the flower of all, 
And leave me but the bran." 

OCCUPATION. 

845. I strongly recommend a nursing mother to 
attend to her household duties. She is never so 
happy, or so well, as when her mind is moderately 
occupied with something useful. She never looks 
so charming as when she is attending to her house- 
hold duties — 

*' For nothing lovelier can be found 
In woman, than to study liousehold good." — Milton. 

846. I do not mean by occupation, the frequenting 
of balls, of routs, or of parties. A nursing mother 
has no business to be at such places ; she ought to 
devote herself to her infant and to her household, 
and she will then experience the greatest happiness 
the world can afford. 

847. One reason why the poor make so much bet- 
ter nursing mothers than the rich is, the former 
have so much occupation. The latter having no 
real work to do, the health becomes injured, and in 
consequence the functions of the breast suffer. In- 
deed, many a fashionable lady has no milk at all, 
and is therefore compelled to give up one of her 
greatest privileges and enjoyments. 

848. A rich mother, who has no work to do, and 
who lives sumptuously, has frequently no milk ; 
while a poor mother who has to labor for her daily 
bread, and who has to live sparingly, has generally 
an abundance of milk. Luxury and disease, toil and 
health, generally go together hand in hand. The 
healthy breast of milk then frequently belongs to the 
poor woman, to the one whom 






OCCUPATION. 327 

" The modest wants of every day 
The toil of every day supphes." 

849. What would not some rich mother give for 
the splendid supply of milk— of healthy, nourishing, 
life-giving milk — of the poor woman who has to labor 
for her daily bread I 

850. What is the reason that wealthy ladies so fre- 
quently have to forego nursing their children ? 
The want of occupation ! The poor woman who has 
no lack of occupation, as she has to labor for her 
daily food, has in consequence the riches of health, 
though poor in this world^s goods — 

*' For health is riches to the poor." — Fenton, 

Bear this in mind, ye wealthy and indolent ladies ! 
Alter your way of living, or take the consequences. 
Still let the poor woman have the healthy, the 
chubby, the rosy, the laughing children ; and you, 
ye rich ones, have the unhealthy, the attenuated, the 
sallow, the dismal little old men and women who are 
constantly under the doctor^s care, and who have to 
struggle for their very existence ! '^ Employment, 
which Galen calls ' Xature^s physician,^ is so essential 
to human happiness, that Indolence is justly con- 
sidered as the mother of misery/^ — Burton, 

851. Occupation, then, — bustling occupation — 
real downright work, either in the form of outdoor 
exercise, or of attending to her household duties — a 
lady, if she desire to have a good breast of milk, 
must have, if, in point of fact, she wish to have healthy 
children. For the Almighty is no respecter of per- 
sons. And He has ordained that work shall be the 
lot of man and of woman too. It is a blessed thing 
to be obliged to work. If we do not work, we have 



328 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

all to pay a heavy penalty in the form of loss of both 
health and happiness. ^^For work is the grand cure 
of all the maladies and miseries that ever beset man- 
kind — honest work, which you intend getting done. ^^ 
— Carhjle^s Inaugural Address, - 

852. A mother who is listless and idle, lounging 
the greater part of every day in an easy chair, or re- 
clining on a sofa, in a room where a breath of air is 
not allowed to enter, usually makes a miserable and 
a wretched nurse. She is hysterical, nervous, dys- 
peptic, emaciated, and dispirited ; she has but little 
milk, and that little of a bad quality ; her babe is 
puny, pallid, and unhealthy, and frequently drops 
into an untimely grave. Occupation, with fresh air 
and exercise, is indispensable to a mother who is suck- 
ling. How true it is that — 

'* To be employed is to be happy.*' — Gray, 

While the converse is equally correct, — To be idle is 
to be miserable. 

853. No wife — more especially no nursing mother 
— can by any possibility, then, be strong and well un- 
less she have occupation. Occupation is emphatically 
a necessity. '' Nature has made occupation a neces- 
sity ; society makes it a duty ; habit may make it a 
pleasure. '' — Capelle, 

'^THE PERIODS" DURING SUCKLING. 

854. If a woman have '^ her periods ^* during suck- 
ling, she ought to have a separate bed ; otherwise, 
in all probability she will conceive. She is more 
likely to conceive after '^ her periods " than when she 
has them not. This is important advice. If it be 
not attended to, in consequence of becoming preg- 
nant, she will have to wean her child before he be old 



AILMEXTS, ETC. 329 

enough to be weaned. Besides^ her own constitu- 
tion^ in consequence of her having children too fast, 
will be injured. 

855. There is a notion abroad, that a mother who 
has ^Mier periods ^' during suckling has sweeter, and 
purer, and more nourishing milk for her child. This 
is a mistaken idea, for really and truly such a 
mother's milk is less pure and sweet and nourishing. 
Well it might be, for the two processes of menstrua- 
tion and of suckling cannot go on together without 
weakening the system. 

AILMENTS, ETC. 

856. TJie Nipple, — A good nipple is important both 
to the comfort of the mother and to the well-doing of 
the child. 

857. One, among many, of the ill effects of stays 
and of corsets is the pushing in of the nipp>les ; sore 
nipples, and consequent suff'ering, are the result. 
Moreover, a mother thus circumstanced may be quite 
unable to suckle her infant ; and then she will be se- 
verely punished for her ignorance and folly ; she will 
be compelled to forego the pleasure of nursing her 
own children, and she will be obliged to delegate to 
others her greatest privilege ! Ladies who never 
wear stays have the best nipples, and the best devel- 
oped bosoms ; hence such mothers are more likely to 
make better nurses to their babes. There is no doubt 
that the pressure of the stays on the bosom tends both 
to waste away the gland of the breast, where the milk 
is secreted, and to cause the nipple either to dwindle 
or to be pushed in, and thus to sadly iuterfere with 
its functions. I should strongly advise every mother 
who has daughters old enough to profit by it, to bear 
this fact in mind, and thus to prevent mischief when 



330 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

miscliief may be prevented, by not allowing them to 
wear stays when young. 

858. Treatment of very small and drawn-in 
JVijjples. — The baby ought to suck through the inter- 
vention of a Nipple Shield with Elastic Tube. I have 
known many mothers able to suckle their children 
with this invention, who otherwise Avould have been 
obliged to have weaned them. The above aid, in the 
generality of instances, will enable the infant to suck 
with ease. After this has been for a time used, the 
nipples will be so improved as to render the continu- 
ance of it unnecessary. Of course, I do not advise the 
use of this nipple shield until a fair trial has been 
given by applying the babe at 07ice to the nipple ; but 
if he cannot draw out the nipple, then, rather than 
wean him, it ought, by all means, to be tried. 

859. Remember, as soon as the nipple is sufficiently 
drawn out, which, in all probability it will be in a 
few days, you should dispense with the Nipple Shield. 
When the infant is not at the breast, apply a small pad 
of cotton-wool with a hole in the center to accommo- 
date the nipple. The pad should be saturated with 
glycerine. Small, and bad, and sore nipples have thus 
frequently been drawn out and made good ones ; the 
dress will suffice to keep the pads in their places. 
These pads are very cooling and healing, and keep 
off all pressure from the clothes ; they will frequently 
cure sore nipples when other remedies have failed. 

860. Sore Nipples, — If a lady, during the latter 
few months of her pregnancy, were to adopt ^^ means 
to harden the nipples,^' sore nipples, during the 
period of suckling, would not be so prevalent as they 
now are. 

861. A sore nipple is frequently produced by the 



I 



AILMENTS, ETC. 331 

injudicious custom of allowing the child to have the 
nipple almost constantlj' in his mouth. ^^ Stated 
periods for suckling/^ as recommended in a previous 
paragraph, ought to be strictly adopted. Another 
frequent cause of a sore nipple is from the babe 
having the thrush. It is a folly to attempt to cure 
the nipple, without, at the same time, curing the 
mouth of the infant. 

862. One of the best remedies for a sore nipple is 
the following powder : — 

Take of — Borax, one drachm ; 

Powdered Starch, seven drachms ; 
Mix. — A pinch of the powder to be frequently applied to 
the nipple. 

863. The following remedy for a sore nipple is a 
very good one ; it is as follows : — 

Take of — Finely powdered Gum- Arabic, half an ounce ; 
Powdered Alum, five grains : 
Mix well together to make a powder. — A pinch of it to 
be frequently applied to the sore nipple. 

As there is nothing injurious to the infant in the 
above powders, they need not be wiped off before ap- 
plying him to the breast. Indeed, either the one or 
the other of the powders, the former especially, as it 
contains borax, is likely to be of service both in pre- 
venting and in curing the sore mouth of the child. 

864. If the above powders should not have the de- 
sired effect — efficacious though they usually are — a 
lotion, composed of equal parts of glycerine and of 
brandy, ought to be tried. It should be painted on 
the nipple by means of a camel^s hair brush, every 
time directly after the babe has been suckled. A 
piece of old soft cambric or lawn, about the size of 
the palm of the hand, snipped around to make it fit, 



332 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

ought then to be moistened in the glycerine and the 
brandy, and should, whenever the child is not at the 
breast, be applied to each of the sore nipples, and 
worn until they are cured. These applications will 
be found of much service and of great comfort, and 
will act as nipple shields — protecting and healing the 
nipples. A soft sponge wrung out of warm water 
should be gently applied to the nipples just before 
putting the child to the bosom. 

865. Sometimes the pure glycerine, ivitlioiit the 
'brandy y painted on the sore nipple, does the most 
good ; if, therefore, the glycerine and brandy do not 
succeed, the pure glycerine should be tried. There 
is nothing in the pure glycerine injurious to the 
child, it therefore need not be wiped off before ap- 
plying the child to the breast. 

8G6. Craclced and fissured Nipples. — Sometimes 
the nipple is sore from having either cracks or fis- 
sures upon it. These cracks or fissures may attack 
any part of the nipple, but are very apt to form 
where the nipple joins the breast ; and, when very 
severe, an ignorant nurse, who is always fond of 
dealing in the marvelous, declares that the child has 
nearly bitten the nipple off ! 

867. Now, the best remedy for a craclced and fis- 
stored nipple is for the infant to suck through the in- 
tervention of a nipple shield, until the cracks and 
fissures are cured ; and every time, directly after the 
babe has been put to the nipple, to apply brandy to 
the parts affected, or, as I have before recommended, 
the glycerine and brandy lotion, or pure glycerine. 
When the child is not at the breast, the pads satu- 
rated with glycerine already mentioned should be 
worn : the dress will keep them in their places. 



AILMEXTS^ ETC. 333 

868. Another cause of a sore nipple is from the 
mother^ after the babe has been sucking^ putting up 
the nipple wet. She, therefore, ouglit ctlivays to dry 
the nipple, not by rubbing it, but by dabbing it with 
a soft cambric or lawn handkerchief, or with a piece 
of soft linen rag — one or other of which ought always 
to be at hand — every time directly after the child 
has done sucking, and just before applying any of the 
above powders or lotions to the nipple. 

869. When the nipple is very sore, whenever the 
child is put to the bosom a mother suffers intense 
pain. This being the case, she had better, as before 
recommended, suckle him through the intervention 
of a shield. But she ought never to use it unless it 
be absolutely necessary — that is to say, if the nipple 
be only sliglithj sore, she should not apply it. But 
there aie cases where the nipple is so very sore that a 
mother would have to give up nursing if the nipple- 
shields were not used. These, and very small and 
drawn-in nipples, are the only cases in which such 
aid is admissible. 

870. A glass nipple shield with elastic tube is, for 
sore and for cracked and for fissured nipples, one of 
the most useful little contrivances ever invented, and 
cannot be too strongly recommended. These shields 
have frequently enabled a mother to suckle her child, 
who, without such aid, would have been compelled 
to have weaned him. I think it well to state, that 
since I have used these shields, I have had but little 
difficulty in curing sore nipples ; indeed, this most 
useful little invention has, in the majority of cases, 
been alone sufficient to effect a cure. 

871. A nursing mother is sometimes annoyed by 
the milk Jlotoing constantly away, making her wet 



334 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

and uncomfortable. All she can do under such cir- 
cumstances is to wear a pad of cotton-wool or soft 
rag, covered with a piece of flannel, over the bosom, 
which will absorb any overflow, and prevent the milk 
from chilling her, and thus she will avoid the danger 
of catching cold. 

872. The Breast, — A mother ought, before apply- 
ing the infant to the bosom, to carefully ascertain if 
there be milk. This may readily be done by squeez- 
ing the nipple between the finger and the thumb. If 
there be no milk, she must wait until the milk be 
secreted, or serious consequences both to her and to 
the child may ensue : to the former, inflammation 
and gathering of the bosom, and sore nipples ; to 
the latter thrush, diarrhoea, and eruptions of the 
skin. 

873. If there be a supply of milk in the breasts, 
and if still the child will not suck, the medical man^s 
attention ought to be drawn to the fact, in order 
that he may ascertain whether the babe be tongue' 
tied ; if he be, the mystery is explained, and a tri- 
fling, painless operation will soon make all right. 

874. If the iosonis he full and uneasy, they ought, 
three or four times a day, to be well but gently 
rubbed with equal parts of oil and eau de Cologne 
mixed in a vial. Some nurses rub only with their 
fingers. Now such rubbing does harm. The proper 
way to apply friction is to pour a small quantity of 
the oil and eaii de Cologne — first shaking the bottle — 
into the palm of the hand, the hand being warm, 
and then to well rub the breasts, taking care to use 
the whole of the inside of the hand. After the 
bosoms have been well rubbed, each ought to be 
nicely supported with a large, soft, folded silk hand- 






AILMEKTS, ETC. 335 

kerchief; the handkerchief must pass under each 
breast and over the shoulders^ and be tied at the 
back of the neck, thus acting as a sling. 

875. If the bosoms be very uncomfortable, young 
cabbage-leaves, with '^ the veins ^^ of each leaf cut level 
to the leaf, may be aj)plied after each application of 
the oil and eau cle Cologne ; or a large, warm, white 
bread and milk and olive oil poultice may be used, 
but it must be renewed three or four times a day. 
The way to make the poultice is as follows : — A 
thick round of bread should be cut from a white 
loaf ; the crust being removed, the crumb ought to 
be cut into pieces about an inch square, and boiling- 
hot new milk poured upon it ; this should be covered 
over for ten minutes ; then the milk should be 
drained off : the olive oil — previously warmed by 
placing a little in a teacup on the hob — should be 
beaten up by means of a fork with the moistened 
bread until it be of the consistence of a soft poultice. 
It ought to be applied to the bosom as hot as it can 
comfortably be borne. 

876. Gathered Breast, — A healthy woman with a 
well-developed breast and a good nipple scarcely, if 
ever, has a gathered bosom ; it is the delicate, the ill- 
developed breasted and worse-developed nippled lady 
that usually suffers from this painful complaint. 
And why ? The evil can generally be traced to girl- 
hood. If she be brought up luxuriously, her health 
and her breasts are sure to be weakened, and thus to 
suffer, more especially if the development of the 
bosoms and nipples has been arrested and interfered 
with by tight stays and corsets. Why, the nipple is 
by them drawn in, and retained on a level with the 
breast — countersunk — as though it were of no con 



33G ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

sequence to her future well-being, as though it were 
a thing of nought. Tight lacers will have to pay 
penalties of which they little dream. Oh, the mon- 
strous folly of such proceedings ! AVhen will mothers 
awake from their lethargy ? It is high time that 
they did so ! From the mother having '^ no nipple/^ 
the effects of tight lacing, many a home has been 
made childless, the babe not being able to procure its 
proper, nourishment, and dying in consequence ! It 
is a frightful state of things ! But fashion unfortu- 
nately blinds the eyes and deafens the ears of its 
votaries ! 

877. A gathered bosom, or ^^ bad breast,'* as it is 
sometimes called, is more likely to occur after ajirst 
confinement and during the first month. Great care, 
therefore, ought to be taken to avoid such a misfor- 
tune. A gathered breast is frequently owing to the 
carelessness of a mother in not covering her bosoms 
during the time she is suckling. Too much attention 
cannot be paid to keeping the breasts comfortahly 
warm. This, during the act of nursing, should be 
done by throwing either a shawl or a square of flannel 
over the neck, shoulders, and bosoms. 

878. Another cause of gathered breasts arises from 
a mother sitting up in bed to suckle her babe. He 
ought to be accustomed to take the bosom while she 
is lying down ; if this habit be not at first instituted, 
it will be difficult to adopt it afterwards. Good hab- 
its may be taught a child from earliest babyhood. 

879. A sore nipple is another fruitful cause of a 
gathered breast. A mother, in consequence of the 
suffering it produces, dreads putting the baby to it ; 
she therefore keeps him almost entirely to the other 
bosom. The result is, the breast with the sore nipple 



II 



AILMEXTS, ETC. 337 

becomes distended with milk^ and being unrelieved, 
inflammation is set up, which may end in a gathering. 

880. Another cause of a gathered breast is a mother 
not having a properly developed nipple — the nipple 
being so small that the child is not able to take hold 
of it. The nipple is sometimes level with the other 
23art of the bosom, and in some instances sunk even 
below the level of the breast^ the patient having what 
is popularly called ^^no nipple/' that is to say, she 
has no properly developed nipj^le. Her nipple is not 
of the least use for any practical purpose whatever, 
but is rather a source of j)ain and annoyance. The 
nipple, in some cases, never develops ; it is, from in- 
fancy to wifehood, at a perfect standstill. With such 
a patient, when she becomes a mother, it is quite im- 
possible that she can suckle her child. The child 
vainly attempts to suck, and the milk, in conse- 
quence, becomes ^^ wedged,'^ as the old nurses call it, 
and inflammation, ending in gathering, is the result ; 
and to crown all, the child is obliged to be weaned 
— which is a sad misfortune I But really, in a case 
of this kind, the child ought never to be put to the 
breast at all. 

881. A great number, then, of gathered breasts 
arise fi^om a faulty nipple. If a lady have a good 
nipple she usually makes a good nurse, and seldom 
knows the meaning of a gathered breast. But what 
is the usual cause of this arrest of development of the 
nipple — of '' no nipple '' ? The cruel custom of al- 
lowing girls to wear tight stays and corsets. As long 
as this senseless practice is permitted by mothers 
^^ no nipples '^ will be of frequent, of everyday, oc- 
currence, and unspeakable misery, as a matter of 
course, will in due time be the result. Tight stays 

22 



338 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

may truly be called instruments of torture, invented 
by that tyrant of tyrants — Fashion. 

882. Pressure on a part always causes the part to 
waste away, or, in other words, induces arrest of de- 
velopment : hence tight lacing is really and truly the 
principal cause of ^^no nipple.'^ 

883. It is worthy of remark, that the ^^ no nipple ^^ 
is generally to be found among the higher ranks, 
where tight stays and tight corsets are worn ; poor 
Avomen have usually well-formed nipples, which is 
one important reason w4iy poor women generally 
make good nurses. 

884. I do not mean to say tliat j)ressure is the only 
cause why many of the rich have ^^ nonipple.^^ Cer- 
tainly not. Simple* living, occupation, and exercise 
have much to do in developing and in perfecting the 
poor woman^s nipple ; while luxurious living and in- 
dolence, in addition to the pressure, have much to 
do in deteriorating and in dwindling away the fash- 
ionable lady^s nipi)le. I will maintain, then, that 
freedom from pressure and simple living, conjoined 
with occupation and exercise, are the main causes of 
determining the matter. 

885. The effect of tight lacing in girls — in so fre- 
quently both arresting the develo2)ment of the bosom 
and in causing ^^no nipple ^^ — are often so terrible in 
their ultimate consequences as to proclaim it to be 
one of the crying evils of the day, and should open 
the eyes of a mother to its enormity. 

886. Verily the rich have to pay heavy pains and 
penalties for their fashion, their luxury, their indo- 
lence and their folly. 

887. The friiitless attempt of an infant to procure 
milk when there is very little or none secreted, is 



AILMEXTS, ETC. 339 

another and a frequent cause of a gathered bosom. 
Dr. Ballard^ in his yaluable little work, considers 
this to be the principal cause of a gathered breast ; 
and, as the subject is of immense importance, I can- 
not do better than quote his own words, more espe- 
cially as to him belongs the merit of originating and 
of bringing the subject prominently before his pro- 
fessional brethren. He says: — ^^This (mammary 
abscess or gathered breast) is another form of disease 
entirely referable to the cause under consideration 
[fruitless sucking] . In the case related, the forma- 
tion of mammary abscess [gathered breast] was only 
just prevented by arresting any further irritation of 
the breast by suckling ; and since I have kept care- 
ful notes of my cases, I have observed that in all in- 
stances of abscess there has been abundant evidence 
of a demand being made upon the gland for a supply 
of milk beyond that which it had the power of secret- 
ing. If the child only has been kept to the breast, 
then it has suffered with disordered bowels ; but in 
the majority of cases an additional irritation has 
been applied ; the commonly-received doctrine that 
a turgid breast is necessarily overloaded with milk, 
leads mothers and nurses to the use of breast-pumps, 
exhausted bottles, or even the application of the 
powerful sucking powers of the nurse herself, to re- 
lieve the breasts of their supposed excess ; and it is 
this extraordinary irritation, which in the majority 
of cases determines the formation of an abscess 
[gathering]. Sometimes these measures are adopted 
to remove the milk when a woman is not going to 
suckle, and then an abscess not unfrequently is es- 
tablished. I have previously alluded to the mistake 
into which mothers and nurses are led by the appear- 



340 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

ance of a swollen breast : it is not evidence that the 
gland can secrete freely^ and it is in this turgid state 
that the excessive irritation tells most severely. This 
hyperaemic [plethoric] condition seems to be a step 
towards inflammation^ and the irritation supplies that 
which is wanting to complete the process. If a 
woman will only remove her child from her breast 
directly the act of sucking produces pain^ she may 
be pretty sure to avoid abscess. So long as the milk 
can be obtained there .is no pain.^^ The above most 
valuable advice deserves great attention, and ought 
to be strictly followed. 

888. Ho20 is a patient to knoto that she is about to 
have a gathered bosom? There are two forms of 
gathered breast ; one being of serious, and the other 
of trifling, importance. The first, the serious one, 
consists of a gathering in the deep structure of the 
gland of the breast itself ; the latter, of a gatliering 
merely of the superficial i)art of the bosom, and 
which should be treated, in the same manner as any 
other external gathering, with warm poultices. 

889. In the mild or superficial kind of gathered 
bosom, the mother may still persevere in suckling 
her child, as the secreting portion of the breast is not 
at all implicated in the gathering ; but in the severe 
form she ought, on no account whatever, to be 
allowed to do so, but should instantly wean her child 
from the affected side. She might still continue to 
nurse from the healthy breast. 

890. The important form of a gathered breast I 
will now describe. A severe gathered bosom is 
always ushered in with a shivering fit ; the more 
severe the gathering, the longer is the shivering fit. 
Let this fact be impressed deeply u23on my reader's 



ail:^iexts, etc. 341 

mind, as it admits of no exception. This shivering 
is either accompanied or followed by sharj) lancinat- 
ing pains of the bosom. The breast now gi^eatly en- 
larges^ becomes hot, and is very painful. The milk 
in the affected bosom either lessens or entirely dis- 
appears. If the child be applied to the breast, which 
he ought not to be, it gives the mother intense pain. 
She is now feverish and ill ; she is hot one minute, 
and cold the next, feeling as though cold water were 
circulating with the blood in her veins ; she loses her 
strength and appetite, and is very thirsty ; she feels, 
in point of fact, downright ill. 

891. A medical man must be sent for at the very 
onset of the shivering fit, and he will, in the general- 
ity of instances, be able to prevent such a painful 
and distressing occurrence as a gathered breast. If 
twelve hours be allowed to elapse after the shivering 
has taken place, the chances are that the gathering 
cannot altogether be prevented ; although even then, 
it may, by judicious treatment, be materially lessened 
and ameliorated. 

892. We sometimes hear of a poor woman suffering 
dreadfully for months, and of her having a dozen 
or twenty holes in her bosom ! This is generally 
owing to the doctor not having been sent for im- 
mediately after the shivering ; I therefore can- 
not too strongly insist, under such circumstances, 
upon a mother obtainingj^ro/^^j^^^ assistance ; not only 
to obviate present suffering, but, at the same time, 
to prevent the function of the breast from being in- 
jured, which it inevitably, more or less, w^ill be, if 
the serious form of gathering be allowed to take 
place. 

893. When once a lady has had the severe form 



342 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

of gathered breast, in all subsequent confinements 
she ought, before suckling her babe, to obtain the 
express permission of the doctor, or she may have a 
return of the gathered breast, and the concomitant 
pain, misery, and annoyance. The reason of the 
above is obvious — the function of the breast, in a 
severe gathering, may be irreparably injured ; so 
that, in all subsequent confinements, the very at- 
tempt to suckle again, instead of inducing secretion 
of milk, may set up inflammatory action, terminat- 
ing in gathering of the breast. 

894. Although it is not always prudent to suckle a 
babe where, in a previous labor, there has been a 
severe form of gathered breast, yet I have known in- 
stances where, after such a gatliering in a previous 
confinement, ladies have been able to nurse their chil- 
dren with comfort to themselves and with benefit to 
their oflFspring. Each individual case, therefore, 
must be judged on its own merits by a medical man 
skilled in such matters. 

895. When a nursing mother feels fat 7if, she ought 
immediately to lie down and take a little nourisliment ; 
a cup of tea with the yolk of an egg beaten up in it, 
or a cup of warm milk, or some beef-tea, any of which 
will answer the purpose extremely well. Brandy, or 
any other spirit, I would not recommend, as it would 
only cause, as soon as the immediate effects of the 
stimulant had gone off, a greater depression to ensue ; 
not only so, but the freqicent taking of brandy might 
become a habit — a necessity — which would be a ca- 
lamity deeply to be deplored ! 

896. A mother is sometimes faint from suckling 
her child too often, she having him almost con- 
stantly at the bosom. She must, of course, expect, as 



AILMEKTS, ETC, 343 

long as she continues this foolish practice^ to suffer 
from faintness. 

897. A nursing mother feeling faint is often an in- 
dication that the child is robbing her of her strength, 
and tells her, in umistakable language^ that she must 
wean him altogether. Warnings of faintness, during 
suckling, then, are not to be disregarded. 

898. Ajjerients, etc., during SucTcling. — Strong pur- 
gatives during this period are highly improper, as 
they are apt to give pain to the infant, as well as to 
injure the mother. If it be absolutely necessary to 
give an aperient, the mildest, such as a dose of castor 
oil, should be chosen. 

899. If she cannot take oil, then she should apply 
it externaUy to the bowels as a liniment, as recom- 
mended in a previous paragraph. 

900. An enema, either of warm water alone, or of 
gruel, oil, and table salt,* applied by means of an 
enema apparatus, is, in such a case, an excellent — 
indeed, the very best — method of opening the bowels, 
as it neither interferes with the digestion of the 
mother nor of the child. 

901. The less opening medicine — whatever be the 
kind — a mother who is suckling takes, the better will 
it be both for herself and for her infant. Even castor 
oil, the least objectionable of aperients, should not 
be taken regularly during suckling ; if it be, the 
bowels will not be moved without it, and a wretched 
state of things will be established. Xo, if the bowels 
will not act, an enema is by far the best remedy ; you 
can never do any harm, either to the mother or to the 



* Two table-spoonfuls of olive oil, two table-spoonfuls of 
table salt and a pint of warm oatmeal gruel. 



344 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

babe^, by the administration of an enema. It will not 
induce future constipation^ or interfere with the 
digestion of the mother, or with the bowels, or w4th 
the health of the infant. 

902. When a lady who is nursing is habitually cos- 
tive, she ought to eat brown instead of white bread. 
This will, in the majority of cases, enable her to do 
w^ithout an aperient. The brown bread may be made 
with flour finely ground all one way ; or by mixing 
one part of bran and three parts of fine wlieaten flour 
together, and then making it in the usual way into 
bread. Treacle, instead of butter, on tlie brown 
bread increases its efficacy as an aperient ; and raio 
should be substituted for lump sugar in her tea. 

903. Stewed prunes, or stewed French plums, or 
stewed Normandy pippins, are excellent remedies to 
prevent constipation. The patient ought to eat, 
every morning, a dozen or fifteen of them. The 
best way to stew either prunes or French plums, is 
the following : — Put a j^ound either of lorunes or of 
French plums, and two table-spoonsf uls of raio sugar, 
into a brown jar ; cover them with water ; ppt them 
into a slow oven, and stew them for three or four 
hours. Both stewed rliubarb and stewed pears often 
act as mild and gentle aperients. Muscatel raisins, 
eaten at dessert, will oftentimes, without medicine, 
relieve the bowels. 

904. A Bee-master in Tlie Times, or, as he is usually 
called. The Times Bee-master, has satisfactorily 
proved that honey — pure honey — is most welcome 
and beneficial to the human economy. He recom- 
mends it to be occasionally eaten in lieu of butter for 
breakfast. Butter, in some localities, and in some 
seasons of the year, is far from good and wholesome. 



AILMEN^TS, ETC. 345 

One of the qualities of honey, and a very valuable 
one, is, it frequently acts as an aperient, and thus 
prevents the necessity of giving opening medicine, 
which is a very important consideration. 

905. The Germans are in the habit of eating for 
breakfast and for tea a variety of fruit jams instead 
of butter with their bread. Now, if the bowels be 
costive, jam is an excellent substitute for butter ; 
and so is honey. The Scotch, too, scarcely ever sit 
down either to breakfast or to tea without there be- 
ing a pot of marmalade on the table. English ladies, 
in this matter, may well take a leaf out of the books 
of the Germans and of the Scotch. 

906. A small basinful of gruel, made either with 
pure Scotch oatmeal, or with the Derbyshire oatmeal, 
sweetened with Iroivn sugar, every night for supper, 
will often supersede the necessity of giving opening 
medicine. 

907. A tumblerful of cold water, taken early every 
morning, sometimes eilectually relieves the bowels ; 
indeed, few people know the value of cold water as 
an aperient — it is one of the best we possess, and, 
unlike drug aperients, can never by any possibility 
do any harm. I have for many years been a staunch 
advocate for the plentiful drinking of water — of pure 
water — more especially for children. I have long 
discovered that one of the most valuable properties 
of water is — its aperient qualities ; indeed, as far as 
children are concerned, water is, as a rule, the only 
aperient they require. I beg to call a mother^'s spe- 
cial attention to the fact of water being an admi- 
rable aperient for children ; for if my view^s in the 
matter be, to the very letter, carried out, much drug- 
ging of children may be saved — to their enduring 



346 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

and inestimable benefit. But the misfortune of it is, 
some mothers are so very fond of quacking their chil- 
dren^ that they are never happy but when they are 
physicking them. The children of such mothers are 
deeply to be pitied. 

908. Coffee, instead of tea, ought to be substituted 
for breakfast, as it frequently acts as an aperient, 
more especially if it be sweetened with brown sugar. 
A glass of sherry should be taken every day duriny 
dinner, as, if the bowels be sluggish, it sometimes 
stimulates them to action. I should strongly recom- 
mend a patient, in such a case, to eat a great variety 
of food, and to let the vegetable element predominate. 
Much meat encourages constipation. Fruit — Mus- 
catel raisins especially — farinaceous food, coffee, and 
a variety of vegetables, each and all incite the bowels 
to do their duty. 

909. Although a nursing mother ought, more es- 
pecially if she be costive, to take a variety of well- 
cooked vegetables, such as potatoes, asparagus, broc- 
coli, cauliflower, French beans, spinach, stewed 
celery, and turnips, she should avoid eating greens, 
cabbages, and pickles, as they would be likely to 
affect the babe, and might cause him to suffer from 
gripings, from pain, and ^^ looseness ^^ of the bowels. 

910. The ^^ wet compress ^' is another excellent 
method of opening the bowels. This is a powerful 
remedy. It must only be used for those who happily 
possess a strong and robust constitution. The way 
of applying the wet compress is as follows : — Fold a 
large napkin a few thicknesses until it is about half 
a foot square ; then dip it in cold water and place it 
over the bowels, over which apply either oil-skin or 
gutta-percha skin, which should be, in order to ex- 



AILMEi^TS^ ETC. 347 

elude the aii% considerably larger than the folded 
napkin. It should be kept in its place by means of 
either a bolster-case or a broad bandage ; and must 
be applied at bedtime, and ought to remain on for 
three or four hours, or until the bowels be opened. 

911. Let me again — for it cannot be too urgently 
insisted upon— strongly advise a nursing mother to 
use every means in the way of diet, etc., to supersede 
the necessity of taking opening medicine, as the repe- 
tition of aperients injures, and that severely, both 
herself and child. Moreover, the more opening medi- 
cine she swallows, the more she requires ; so that if 
she once get into the habit of regularly taking aperi- 
ents, the bowels will not act without them. What a 
miserable existence, to be always swallowing physic ! 

912. If a lady, then, during the period of suckling 
were to take systematic exercise in the open air ; to 
bustle about the house and to attend to her house- 
hold duties ; if she were to drink, the moment she 
awakes in the morning, a tumblerful of cold water, 
and every day during dinner a glass of sherry ; if she 
were to substitute hrotvn bread for ^vliite bread, and 
coffee for tea at breakfast, and iroivn for ivMfe sugar ; 
if she were to vary her food, both animal and vege- 
table, and to partake plentifully of sound ripe fruit ; 
if she w^ere to use abundance of cold water to her 
skin ; if she were occasionally, at bedtime, to apply 
a ^^wet compress ^^ to her bowels, and to visit the 
water-closet daily at one lioiir ; if she were — even if 
the bowels were not opened for four or five days — 
not to take an aperient of any kind whatever, and 
avoid quacking herself with physic ; in short, if she 
would adopt the above safe and simple remedies — 
many of them being Xature^s remedies — and which 



348 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

are in the reach of all, she would not suffer as she 
now does so much from costiveness, which is fre- 
quently the bane, the misery, and the curse of her 
existence ! But then, to get the bowels into a proper 
and healthy state, it would take both time and trouble; 
and how readily can a couple of pills be swallowed, 
and how quickly they act ! How soon they have to 
be repeated, though, until at length the bowels will 
not act at all unless goaded into action I The con- 
stant swallowing of opening pills, then, makes the 
bowels stubborn and sluggish, and permanently in- 
jures them. The bowels at length will not, without 
the pills, move at all, and so the pills will become a 
dire and sometimes even a daily necessity ! Oh, the 
folly and the mischief of such a system ! 
WEANING. 
913. There is an old saying, '' That a woman should 
carry her child nine months, and should suckle him 
nine months.'^ It is well known that the first part 
of the old adage is correct, and experience has proved 
the latter to be equally so. If a babe be weaned 
iefore he be nine months old, he loses that muscular 
strength which the breast-milk alone can give ; if he 
be suckled after he be nine months old, he becomes 
pallid, flabby, weak, and delicate. ^' It is generally 
recognized that the healthiest children are those 
weaned at nine months complete. Prolonged nurs- 
ing hurts both child and mother ; in the child, caus- 
ing a tendency to brain disease, probably through 
disordered digestion and nutrition, in the mother, 
causing a strong tendency to deafness and blindness. 
It is a very singular fact, to which it is desirable that 
attention were paid, that in those districts of Scot- 
land — viz., the Highlands and insular — where the 



WEAXI^s^G. 349 

mothers suckle their infants from fourteen to eight- 
een months, deaf-dumbness and blindness prevail to 
a very much larger extent among the people than in 
districts where nine or ten months is the usual limit 
of the nursing period/^ — Dr, W. Farr on the 3for- 
tality of Cliildren, 

914. Tlie time, then, tvlien mi infant should he iveaned. 
— '^ This must depend upon the strength of the child, 
and upon the health of the parent. Speaking gen- 
erally, at the niyith month is the proper time. If the 
mother be delicate, it may be found necessary to wean 
the infant at six months ; or if he be weak, or labor- 
ing under any disease, it may be well to continue 
suckling him for ten months ; but after that time 
the breast will do him more harm than good, and 
will, moreover, injure the mother^s health, and may, 
if she be so predisposed, excite disease. ^^ — Advice to 
a Mother, 

915. If he be suckled after he be nine months old, 
he is generally pale, flabby, unhealthy, and rickety ; 
and the mother is usually nervous, emaciated, and 
hysterical. A child who is suckled beyond the proper 
time, more especially if there be any predisposition, 
sometimes dies of water on the brain, or of consump- 
tion of the lungs, or of disease of the bowels. 

916. A child nursed beyond nine months is very 
apt, if he should live, to be knock-kneed, and bow- 
legged, and weak-ankled — to be narrow-chested and 
chicken-breasted — to be, in point of fact, a miserable 
little object. All the symptoms just enumerated are 
those of rickets, and rickets are damaging and de- 
facing to '*^the human form divine.''^ Eickets is a 
very common complaint among children — nearly all 
arising from bad management — from hygienic rules 



350 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

not being either understood or followed. There are 
many degrees of rickets^ ranging from bow-legs and 
knock-knees to a crooked spine — to a humpback I 
But as I have entered so fully into the causes and the 
treatment of rickets in two of my other works — Advice 
to a Mother and Counsel to a Mother — I beg to refer 
my fair readers, for further information on the sub- 
ject, to these two volumes — more especially as those 
two works are especially devoted to the management, 
to the care, and the rearing of her children ; while 
this book is intended solely for a wife^s own especial 
•benefit — to be her guide and counselor. 

917. The manner in ichich a mother should act when 
she tveans her child, — ^^She ought, as the word 
signifies, to do it gradually — that is to say, she should 
by degrees give him less and less of the breast, and 
more and more of artificial food ; at length she must 
only suckle him at night ; and lastly, it would be well 
for the mother either to send him away or to leave 
him at home, and for a few days to go away herself. "^^ 

918. ^^ A good plan is for the nurse-maid to have a 
half-pint bottle of boiled* new milk in the bed, so as 
to give a little to the cliild in lieu of the breast. The 
warmth of the body will keep the milk of a jiroper 
temperature, and will supersede the use of lamps, of 
candle-frames, and other troublesome contrivances.^^ 
— Advice to a Mother. 

919. If the mother be not able to leave home herself, 
or to send her child/rom home, she ought then to let 
him sleep in another room, with some responsible 



* The previous boiling of the milk will prevent the 
warmth of the bed turning the milk sour, which it other- 
wise would do. 



WEANIXG. 351 

person — I say responsible person^ for a babe must 
not be left to the tender mercies of a giggling, thought- 
less young girl. 

920. If the mother, during the daytime, cannot 
resist having her child in the room with her, then I 
should advise her to make a paste of aloes — that is 
to say, let her mix a little powdered aloes with a few 
drops of water, until it be of the consistence of paste 
— and let her smear a little of it on the nipple every 
time just before putting him to the breast ; this will 
be quite enough for him ; and one or two aloes-ap- 
plications to the nipple will make him take a disgust 
to the bosom ; and thus the weaning will be accom- 
plished. A mother need not be afraid that the aloes 
will injure her babe ; the minute quantity he will 
swallow will do no harm ; for the moment he tastes 
it, the aloes being extremely bitter, he will splutter 
it out of his mouth. 

921. Another application for the nipple to effect 
weaning is wormwood. There are two ways of apply- 
ing it, either (1) by sprinkling a very small pinch of 
powdered wormwood on the nipple ; or (2) by bathing 
the nipple with a small quantity of wormwood tea 
just before applying the babe to it — either the one or 
the other of these plans will make him take a dislike 
to the breast, and thus the weaning will be accom- 
plished. Worm word is excessively bitter and dis- 
agreeable, and a slight quantity of it on the nipple 
will cause an infant to turn away from it in loathing 
and disgust — the wormwood, the minute quantity he 
will taste, will not at all injure him. Wormwood 
was in olden time used for the purpose of weaning — 

*' And she was weaned, — I never shall forget it — 
Of all the days of the year upon that day ; 



352 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

For I had then laid wormwood to my dug (nipple), 

Sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall, 

My lord and you were then at Mantua : — 

Nay, I do bear a brain : but, as I said, 

When it did taste the wormwood on the nipple 

Of my dug, and felt it bitter, pretty fool ! 

To see it tetchy, and fall out with the dug." 

— Skakspeare. 

922. The best way of ^^ drying up the milk ^' is to 
a.pply to each breast soap-plaster {emplastrtivi sapo- 
nis), spread on soft pieces of wash-leather, the shape 
and size of the top of a hat, with a round hole the 
size of a shilling in the middle of each to admit the 
nipple, and with a slit from the center to the cir- 
cumference of each plaster to make a better fit. 
These plasters ought to be spread by a chemist. 
Emplastrum belladon^ or belladonna plaster is also 
useful in dispersing milk. The plasters should be 
perforated in the center to allow the nipple to come 
through. 

923. When the child is once weaned, the breasts 
ought not to be drawn, as the drawing of them would 
cause them to secrete larger quantities of milk : if, 
therefore, the bosoms be ever so full or uncomfort- 
able, a mother ought to leave them alone ; she should 
wait patiently, and the milk will gradually diminish, 
and will at length disappear. 

924. The drawing of the bosoms, during weaning, 
by means of a breast-pump, or by the mouth, or by 
other like contrivances, has frequently caused gathered 
breasts. This is a most reprehensible practice. If 
not drawn, the breasts scarcely, if ever, gather. 

925. The above plan of '^ drying up the milk '' will 
generally, in five or six days, be successful ; but if, 
at the end of two clays, the bosoms still continue full 



WEAIS^IXG. 353 

and uncomfortable, the plasters should be removed, 
and the breast ought, every four hours, to be well 
but tenderly rubbed with equal parts of olive oil and 
of ean de Cologne ; the nurse supporting the breasts 
during such friction with her other hand. 

926. Let me impress the above important advice on 
a nursing mother^s mind ; it will save a great deal of 
after suffering and misery. 

927. It may be well to state, that after the child 
has been weaned, the milk does not always entirely 
leave the breasts, not even for weeks, and, in some 
cases, not even for months. This is not of the 
slightest consequence, and does not require any 
treatment. 

928. A mother ought, during the period of wean- 
ing, to live abstemiously ; and should drink as little 
as possible. In many cases it is necessary to work 
oflE the milk — to give, every morning, for two or 
three mornings, mild aperient medicine, such as a 
Seidlitz powder, or a teaspoonful of magnesia and a 
teaspoonf ul of Epsom salts in half a tumbler of warm 
water. 

929. Symptoms denoting the necessity of tveaning, — 
A mother sometimes cannot suckle her child, the at- 
tempt bringing on a train of symptoms somewhat 
similar to the following : — singing in the ears ; dim- 
ness of sight ; aching of the eyeballs ; throbbing in 
the head ; nervousness ; hysterics ; tremblings ; faint- 
ings ; loss of appetite and of flesh ; fluttering and 
palpitation of the heart ; feelings of great exhaustion ; 
indigestion ; costiveness ; sinking sensations of the 
stomach ; pains in the left side ; great weakness and 
dragging pains of the loins, Avhich are usually in- 
creased whenever the infant is put to the bosom ; 

23 



354 ADVICE TO A AVIFE. 

pallor of the countenance ; shortness of breath ; 
swelling of the ankles. 

930. Every mother who is suffering from suckling 
does not have the whole of the above long catalogue 
of symptoms ! But if she have three or four of the 
more serious of them, she must not disobey the warn- 
ings, but should discontinue nursing at once. Al- 
though the babe himself be not old or strong, he can 
be well brought up by hand. 

931. Remember, then, that if the above warning 
symptoms be disregarded, dangerous consequences, 
both to parent and child, may and probably will be 
the result. It may induce disease in the mother, as 
consumption ; and in consequence of the infant not 
being able to obtain sufficient or projier nourishment, 
it may cause him to dwindle and pine away, and, 
eventually, to die. 

933. If there be, during any period of suckling, a 
sudden and great diminution of milk in the breasts, 
the chances are that the mother is again enceinte ; 
if so the child should be weaned at once. It is most 
injurious both to parent and to child for a mother to 
continue suckling when she is pregnant. 

933. Soon after nine month^s nursing ^^ the 
monthly periods '' generally return. This is another 
warning that the babe ought wunediately to be 
weaned. The milk will now lessen both in quantity 
and in nourishment, and the child in consequence 
will become delicate and puny, and, every day he is 
suckled, will be losing instead of gaining ground. I 
have known many children, from protracted suck- 
ling, become smaller at twelvemonths than they were 
at nine months. And well they might, as, after nine 
months, the mother^s milk usually does them harm 



I 



AVEAKIIS^G. 355 

instead of good^ and thus causes them to dwindle 
away. 

934. At another time, although the above train of 
symptoms does not occur, and notwithstanding she 
may be in perfect health, a mother may not be able 
to suckle her babe. Such a one usually has very 
small breasts, and but little milk in them, and if she 
endeavor to nurse her child, it produces a violent ach- 
ing of the bosom. If she disregard these warnings, 
and still persevere, most likely inflammation of the 
breast will be produced, leading in the end to a 
gathering. 

935. An obstinate sore ni2:)2^le is sometimes a symp- 
tom denoting the necessity of wea/ning, — When the 
nipples, for some time, notwithstanding judicious 
treatment, persistently continue very sore, it is often 
an indication that a mother ought to wean her babe. 
Long-continued, obstinate sore nipples frequently 
occur in delicate women, and speak in language not 
to be misunderstood, that the child, as far as the 
mother herself is concerned, must be w^eaned. If the 
above advice were more frequently followed than it 
is, gathered breasts, much suffering, and broken 
health, would not so frequently prevail as they now do. 

936. If a mother be predisposed to consumption ; 
if she have had spitting of blood ; if she be subject 
to violent palpitation of the heart ; if she have any 
hereditary disease, as gout, skin affection, cancer ; 
if she be laboring under great debility and extreme 
delicacy of constitution ; if she have any of the above 
complaints or symptoms, she ought not on any ac- 
count to sucMe her child, but it should be brought 
up on artificial food or delegated to a wet-nurse. 

937. Great care and circumspection are required 



356 ADVICE TO A WIFE. 

in the selection of a wet-nurse. Her antecedents 
should be strictly inquired into ; her own healthy and 
that of her babe^ must be thoroughly investigated ; 
the ages of her own child and that of the foster babe 
should be compared^ as they ought as nearly as pos- 
sible to be the same. But if a wet-nurse be required, 
I have in two of my other works — Advice to a Mother 
and Counsel to a Mother — entered fully into the sub- 
ject, on the best kind of wet-nurse, and on the right 
method of selecting one, so that I cannot do better 
than refer my reader, under the head of '' wet-nurse," 
to those books ; a repetition in these pages is need- 
less. 

938. If a nursing mother should, unfortunately, 
catch scarlatina or small-pox, or any other infectious 
disease, the child must immediately be weaned, or in 
all probability the babe himself will catch the disease, 
and very likely die. The mother's milk, in such a 
case, is poisoned, and, therefore, highly dangerous 
for a child to suck. I scarcely need say, that the 
babe must instantly be removed altogether away from 
the infected house — small-pox and scarlet-fever both 
being intensely infectious : the younger the child — 
if he do take the infection — the greater will be 
his peril. A wet-nurse — if the infant himself be too 
young to wean — should, as far as she is able, supply 
the mother's place, or it can be brought up by hand 
on artificial food. 

939. A mother sometimes suckles her child Avhen 
she is pregnant. This is highly improper, as it not 
only injures her own health, but may bring on a 
miscarriage. It is also prejudicial to her babe, and 
may produce a delicacy of constitution from which 
he may never recover ; indeed, it may truly be said. 



WEANIKG. 357 

that an infant so circumstanced is always delicate 
and unhealthy, and ready, like blighted fruit, to 
dwindle and die away. 

940. A mother when she is weaning her child 
should live very abstemiously ; she should avoid 
highly-spiced and rich dishes, and stwmlaiits of all 
kinds ; she should drink very little fluid ; she should, 
as much as possible, be out of sight and of hearing 
of her babe ; she should rub her breasts, three times 
a day, with warm camphorated oil. Once having 
weaned her child, she should not again put him to 
the bosom. If she should be so imprudent, she may 
not only disorder her child and bring on severe bowel 
complaint, but she may cause her own breasts to in- 
flame and her nipples to be sore. The less the breasts 
are meddled with the better ; except it be the rub- 
bing of them with the warm camphorated oil ; or, as 
recommended in one of my other books — Advice to a 
Mother — the application of soap-plaster spread on 
wash-leather to each breast. 



THE Ei^D, 



INDEX. 



Abdomen, defined, 82, note ; 
increased size and hardness 
of, a symptom of pregnancy, 
148; muscular pains of , 178; 
pendulous, 189; stretching 
of skin in pregnancy, 189. 

Ablution, importance of, 8, 
34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 
85; after labor, 238, 295; 
in pregnancy, 155, 156, 171. 

Abortion, 207; criminal, 147, 
148. 

Accoucheur, duties of, 250, 
254, 269. 

After-birth, disposal of, 280; 
should never be brought 
away by nurse, 279. 

After-pains, 256. 

Air and exercise in preg- 
nane y, 156-158 ; during 
suckling, 322. 

Alcoholic stimulants in mod- 
eration, 63, 64; in excess, 
50, 51, 52, 55, 125; during 
the "periods," 121, 125. 

Ale at meals, 49, 320. 

Aloe paste, in weaning, 351. 

Anaemic girls, 121. 

Aperients: in pregnancy, 173; 
before labor, 190; after 
labor, 291; during suck- 
ling, 343; frequent taking 
of, injurious, 24, 25, 26, 104, 
293, 347. 

Appetite, want of, in the rich, 
78; loss of in pregnancy, 
150, 152. 

Archery, 86. 

Artificial respiration of child, 
277. 

Assurance companies and 
healthy families, 114. 

Attendants in lying-in room, 
265 ; hints to, 274-283. 



Back, weak, salt bath for, 

37. 
"Back labor," 259. 
Bandaging after confinement, 

236, 285. 
Barren wives, percentage of, 

in England, 6 ; diet for, 31, 
Barrenness, 6, 7, 31, 32, 51; 

causes of, 29, 56, 57, 68, 

110, 122, 126, 130; prevalent 

in France, 56. 
Bath-room, covering for, 39. 
Bathing, exercise after, 40. 
Baths, beneficial effects of, 

37, 38, 155, 156, 203, 204. 
Bay-salt, 37. 
Bearing-down of womb, 132; 

cause of, 156. 
"Bearing-down" pains, 212, 

248, 252, 257, 258. 
" Beauty-sleep," 70. 
Bed, " the guarding of," 263. 
Bed clothing, 170. 
Bed-pan, the best kind of, 

289. 
Bedroom for pregnant female, 

169. 
Bedrooms, ventilation of, 27, 

28, 71, 72, 159, 160. 
Beef-tea, how to make, 298, 

299. 
"Being out in reckoning," 

221. 
Belladonna plaster, useful in 

dispersing milk, 352. 
Beverages for young wife, 48 ; 

after labor, 301-303; for 

nursing mother, 320. 
Bicycling, dangers to avoid, 

20; iniurious in pregnancy, 

157. 
Bidet, 37; use in pregnancy, 

155, 204. 
Billiards, 23. 

359 



360 



INDEX. 



Bitter ale at dinner, 49. 

Bladder, irritability in preg- 
nancy, 149, 150, 198, 244; 
importance of relieving, 
269; sluggishness of, 198, 
199; relieving after confuie- 
meut, 289, 290. 

Bleeding piles at change of 
life, 139; in pregnancy, 184. 

*' Blue-stocking" as a wife, 
96. 

Boas, a frequent cause- of 
sore-throats and quinsies, 
84. 

Boots, frequent change of, 
advisable, 28; evils of pat- 
ent leather, 24. 

Bowel complaints of preg- 
nancy, 197, 198. 

Bowels before labor, 262; 
after labor, 290-294; wind 
in, 137, 183. 

Bowls, 86. 

Boy or girl ? 226-228. 

Bragg' s charcoal biscuit, 183. 

Brandy drinking, dangers of, 
50-55, 62; barrenness en- 
couraged by, 50, 52; exces- 
sive, a cause of miscarriage, 
52. 

Brandy in the lying-in room, 
268. 

Breakfast, importance of a 
substantial, 42, 43; loss of 
appetite for, arising from 
pregnancy, 43. 

Breast, the, 126, 143; during 
suckling, 310-314, 334; full 
and uneasy, 310, 334; in 
second and succeeding con- 
finements, 313; during preg- 
nancy, 144, 197; treatment 
of swollen and painful, 197, 
310; swellings and pains of, 
at change of life, 137. 

Breast, gathered, causes of, 
316, 335, 336, 352 ; symp- 
toms, 340; two forms of, 
340, 341; importance of 
early treatment, 341. 

Breast-pump, ill effects of, 
352. 



Brown bread a remedy for 
costiveness, 105, 344, 347. 

Bugs and fleas, remedies 
against, 103. 

Calomel, dangerous in preg- 
nancy, 173. 

Carbonic acid gas, thrown off 
by the lungs, a deadly poi- 
son, 71-73. 

Carpets, what, recommended 
for bath-room or dressing- 
room, 39. 

Carriage exercise, 304, 322 ; 
abuse of, 21, 22. 

Castile soap enema, 292. 

Castor oil, a valuable aperient 
in pregnancy, 173, 174 ; 
given after labor, 291 ; dur- 
ing suckling, 343. 

Castor oil as a dressing for 
the hair, 39. 

Catheter, passing, after labor 
sometimes necessary, 290. 

'* Ceasing to be unwell" a 
first sign of pregnancy, 136, 
142. 

Champagne-cup, dangers of, 
57. 

*' Change of life," symptoms 
of, 111, 132, 135-141; bleed- 
ing piles at, 139; impor- 
tance of consulting a medi- 
cal man, 140; stimulants 
during, 141. 

Change of room after labor, 
304. 

" Checks" and sterility, 60. 

Cheerfulness a promoter of 
good health, 88, 89, 90, 
104; during child-birth, 
264. 

Chilblains, causes, 19; . pre- 
vention, 38. 

Child born before arrival of 
medical man, what to do, 
275. 

Childless house, cheerlessness 
of, 13. 

Chimneys, importance of 
open, 27, 28, 72, 169. 

Chloroform in labor, 270-273. 



INDEX. 



361 



Claret, 2:ood, as a beverage, 
47, 63ro20. 

''Cleansing'' after confine- 
ment, 21U-296. 

Climbing, mountain, 102. 

Clothing in i3regnancy, 153- 
155; after labor, 2S-1; dur- 
ing suckling, 316, 317. 

Cocoa-nut oil for the hair, 39. 

Coffee as an aperient, 346. 

Cold air, beneficial effects on 
a healthy person, 29. 

Cold feet, remedy for, 23. 

Cold water ablutions, 34-38, 
40, 41, 85, 215. 

Complexions, sallow, cause 
of, 25, 57. 

Compress, wet, use of, 346, 
347. 

Conception, menstruation in- 
timately associated with, 
116-120; age limit, 132. 

Contagious diseases, how dis- 
seminated, 163, 164. 

Cookins:, good, importance 
of, 92-96.^ 

Costiveness, causes of, 83, 
173; remedies for, 26, 104, 
105, 106, 107, 173, 174; 
danger of, during preg- 
nancy, 176; common after 
labor, 290, 291. 

*' Count," the, 180; method 
of making, 180, 186; preg- 
nancy table, 220-223. 

Country air, beneficial effect 
of, 86, 104. 

Cow' s milk, fattening proper- 
ties of, 47. 

Cramps in pregnancy, 202; 
during labor, 249, 250. 

Creosote for toothache a bad 
remedy, 191. 

Cricket, 20. 

D A X c I N a, danger during 

pregnancy, 87. 
Daylight, importance of, 79- 

81. 
Debility, wrong remedies for, 

60, 61. 
Depression of spirits from 



barrenness, 51 ; during 
suckling, 320, 321. 

Diarrhoea in pregnancy , rem- 
edies, 178-180. 

Dietaiy of a young wife, SO, 
42-48; variety necessary, 
44; of a pregnant female, 
165-169; of lying-in women, 
298-300; of nursing mother, 
317-322, 344. 

Digestion, weak, 48; s:ood, 
324, 325. 

Disinfectants, 160, 161. 

Domette bandages, 188. 

Drainage, importance of good, 
160-164. 

Dress, suitable, for young 
wife, 81-84; iii child-birth, 
262, 263. 

Drinking, a cause of barren- 
ness, 55-59. 

Drinking water, pm-ity of, 
163. 

"Drying-up the milk," best 
way of, 352. 

Duties of a wife, 91 ; of a nurs- 
ing mother, 306-310. 

Eaely ]Marriages, risk and 
danger of, 112, 113. 

Early maturity, 118. 

Early rising, advantages of, 
8. 65-70, 172. 

"Early to rest," 69. 

Emaciation a sign of preg- 
nancy, 149. 

Emplastrum belladonnis for 
dispersing milk, 352. 

Enceinte, signification of 
word, 154. 

Enema for costiveness, 165, 
171; for lying-in patients, 
2k)-294; value during suck- 
ling and pregnancy, 203, 
343. 

Eruptions of the skin, at 
change of life, 137 ; in preg- 
nancy, 150, 153. 

Exercise, importance of, 8, 
14-26, 102, 215; when men- 
struating, 119; for the deli- 
cate, 17, 18, 23; out-door, 



362 



IKDEX. 



14, 75, 76, 304, 322, 347; 
morning, 23 ; walking, 14- 
20, 24, 40, 77, 112; in car- 
riages, 304, 322; during 
pregnancy, 156 ; during 
suckling, 322; in open air 
after labor, 304; promotes 
sleep, 14. 

Face, how to wash, 35. 
Fainting in pregnancy, 189- 

200. 
Faintness during suckling, 

343. 
''Falling of the womb," 294, 

298 ; causes of, 18. 
False labor pains, 216-218. 
Farinaceous foods, 47, 53. 
Fashionable life, evil effects 

of, 10, 11, 12, 13, 29, 30, 33, 

130, 140. 
Fatness of patient at change 

of life, 136, 138. 
Fecundity and barrenness, 22, 

30, 32. 
Feeble parents have feeble 

children, 115. 
Feet, cleansing the, 37 ; swell- 
ing in pregnancy, 154. 
Feet, cold, causes and remedy 

for, 23, 24. 
''Fidgets," the, causes and 

treatment, 180-181. 
Flannel vests next the skin, 

83. 
Flatulence, at change of life, 

137; in pregnancy, 148, 183; 

in hysteria, 128; remedies 

against, 45, 183. 
Fleas and bugs, remedies, 

103. 
Flooding, violent, at change 

of life, 309; in pregnancy, 

cause of, 156; in labor, 279. 
Flushings of heat at change 

of life, 139. 
Foetal heart, sounds of, a sure 

sign of pregnancy, 151. 
Food, variety necessary when 

suckling, 319. 
Forceps, use in midwifery, 

254. 



France, wine-drinking a cause 

of barrenness, 56. 
French plums, steward, 344. 
Friend, the choice of, during 

labor, 264. 
Fruit as an aperient, 347; 

useful in pregnancy, 167. 
Fumigations, 160. 

Garters, ill effects of, in 

pregnancy, 154. 
Gestation, period of, 218-226. 
Gin-drinking nursing mother, 

53. 
Girl or boy ? 226-228. 
Goitre, cause of, 153. 
Golf for young girls, 20. 
Greens, cabbages, and pickles 

injurious when suckling, 

346. 
"Grinding pains," 245, 246, 

247, 248, 252, 253, 257. 

Hair, cleansing the, 38, 39. 

Healtli, care, restoration, and 
preservation of, 5-10, 108. 

Healthy children, 7, 13. 

Heart, palpitation of, 124, 127; 
in pregnancy, 201. 

Heartburn in pregnancy, 150, 
151, 181; when attended 
with costiveness, 182. 

Hints to attendants in lying- 
in room, 274-283; to mother 
when suckling, 315. 

Home, pleasures of, 87, 88. 

Honey as an aperient, 176, 
345. 

Horse exercise in pregnancy, 
caution, 26. 

Horse-hair mattress recom- 
mended, 203, 213, 260. 

Hot baths in pregnancy, too 
relaxing, 155. 

Hot rooms, evils of, 29. 

Hot water bag, in cases of 
diarrhoea, 179. 

House, a healthy, 28. 

Houseliold duties, attention 
to, 14, 90, 96 ; employment 
after child-birth, 305. 

Husband in lying-inroom,255. 



INDEX. 



Hysteria, causes and symp- 
toms, 125-132; large quan- 
tity of urine passed in, 128. 

Hysterical paroxysm, 127; pa- 
tient afraid to go to church, 
128. 

Idleness the mother of many 
diseases, 9, 32, 78, 91, 92, 
98; injurious in pregnancy, 
156. 

Infant born apparently dead, 
what to do, 276. 

Inherited diseases, 7. 

Intemperance, evils of, 64, 65. 

''In the straw," origin of 
term, 261. 

Irritation and itching of ex- 
ternal parts in pregnancy, 
205, 206. 

Jam as an aperient, 345. 

Kamptulicox for bath or 

dressing-room, 39. 
Keating' s insect powder, 103. 

Labor, articles required for 
immediate use, 261 ; ban- 
daging after, 136, 237, 285; 
bathing of parts after de- 
livery, 295; beverages dur- 
ing and after, 268, 301-303; 
importance of emptying 
bladder, 269, 289-290; 
change of room, 304; chlo- 
roform, use of, 270-274; 
" cleansings," 295; clothing 
after, 284; costiveness usual 
after, 290; dietary scale 
after, 298; dress, suitable, 
262; duration of, 255; 
''guarding of the bed" in, 
263; hints in absence of 
doctor, 274; use of instru- 
ments, 254; position of 
w^oman in and after, 261, 
286; preparations for, 261, 
265; quietude enjoined, 
264, 265, 287, 296; rest 
after, 283, 296; shivering 
during, 246; stimulants 



during and after, 268, 285- 
301; symptoms of, 243. 

Labor, natural, 249-253, 255; 
stages of, 257-259. 

Labor premature, 207. 

Labor, rapid, directions con- 
cerning, 274. 

Labor, slow, 256. 

Labor pains, 259; false, 216- 
218; true, 247; difference 
between true and false, 217. 

La poudre insecticide, 103. 
i Late hours, evil effects of, 
i 11. 

! Laughter good for digestion, 
j 90. 
i Lawn tennis, 20, 86. 

Legs, swollen, in pregnancy, 
154, 188. 

Light, importance of, 79-81. 

Light wines, 59. 

"Likes and dislikes," in eat- 
ing, 152. 

Linoleum for bath or dress- 
ing-room, 39. 

Lock-jaw simulated in hys- 
teria, 128. 

"Longings" in pregnancy, 
152. 

Luxury, an age of, 21, ill-ef- 
fects of, 29, 328. 

Lying-in room, 237,286; doc- 
tors presence when neces- 
sary, 250; temperature of, 
237, 263, 286; visitors in, 
288. 

Mammary abscess, 329. 

See Breast. 
Marmalade as an aperient, 

344. 
Marriage, best age for, 113, 

114; statistics of, 113; early, 
risks of, 113; late in life, 

114. 
Married life, importance of 

first year of, 10-12. 
Marshmallow and camomile 

fomentation, 295, note. 
Mastication of food, 47. 
Meals, number of daily, 44; a 

hearty, injurious before go- 



364 



INDEX. 



ing to bed, 45; rules re- 
garding, 47, 48. 

Meddlesome breast-tending, 
313. 

Medical man, duty of, 249. 

Medicines, a few safe and 
simple, for use in preg- 
nancy, 172-206. 

Menstrual fluid, characters 
of, 118, 119. 

Menstruation, 110; et seq.; 
absent, 120, 126; time of 
commencement in England, 
and in warm and cold 
climates, 116, 117, 118; con- 
tinuation of, 116, 117; ces- 
sation, 135; during suck- 
ling, 119, 328, 329, 354; 
healthy, 111; dangers of 
painful, 118-120; ill effects 
of stimulants, 121; at 
change of life, 141; ''regu- 
lar," 116, 125; profuse, 123, 
125; scanty, 121, 122, 131; 
unhealthy neglected, a 
cause of barrenness, 131; 
importance of noting the 
last day of the periods, 225. 

Midwifery, meddlesome, 249. 

Milk at '' its height," 312 ; the 
best way of *' drying up" 
the, 352 ; flowing away con- 
stantly, 333; in breast a 
sign of pregnancy, 144. 

Milk-fever or Weed, 314, 
315. 

Mind, influence on health, 88, 
100 ; excitability in preg- 
nancy, 150, 152. 

Miscarriage, 207-216 ; care 
required after, 214 ; causes 
of, 11, 52, 59, 82 ; neglected, 
125, 212 ; floodnig in, 121, 
156, 209, 212 ; prevention 
of, 58, 207, 210 ; symptoms 
and stages of, 210, 211 ; 
treatment, 213-216 ; usual 
time of taking place, 213, 
216. 

Monthly nurse, 228-241 ; 
choice and duties of, 228- 
240 ; danger of a quacking. 



230, 239, 314; qualifica- 
tions, 229, 230, 296. 
Morning dews, 68. 
Morning sickness during 

pregnancy, 143, 193, 195 ; 

remedies for, 193, 195. 
Mothers able to suckle, 307 ; 

who cannot suckle, 353 ; 

who should not suckle, 

355. 
Mothers, prolific, 34, 117, 

note ; unnatural, 309, 310. 
Mountain air, 102. 
Mufflers and sore throats, 84. 

Nausea or sickness in 
labor, 246. 

Navel, protrusion of, a sign 
of pregnancy, 149. 
I Navel-string, tlie manner of 
tying and dividing, 279 ; 
not to be tied until the 
child breathes, 277 ; re- 
sult of imperfect tying, 281. 

Nervous parents have nervous 
children, 115. 

Nervous patients and stimu- 
lants, 61. 

Nipple : cracked and fissured, 
332 ; areola round, a sign of 
pregnancy, 144, 150 ; great 
importance of hardening, 
19(), 330 ; retraction of, 329; 
soreness of, 143, 331-333, 
336, 355 ; an obstinate, 355; 
small and drawn in, 330, 
338 ; washing nipple and 
bosom before infant is first 
put to the breast, 312 ; wet, 
333. 

Nipple shields, 330, 333. 

"No nipple," 337. 

Nose, bleeding from, at 
change of life, 137. 

Nurse, the monthly, 228, 241. 

Nursery basin, 36. 

Nursing apron, 317. 

Nursing, instruction in, 97, 
98 ; danger of prolonged, 
354. 

Nursing mother, duties of, 
306-310 ; beverages for, 



i:n"dex. 



365 



8-20 ; clothing of, 316, 317 ; 
dietary, 317, 318. 

Oatmeal as an aperient, 173, 
176, 177 ; gruel as a fomen- 
tation, 295. 

Obstetric belts, 150, 245. 

Occupation, value to a young 
wife, 77, 89, 91, 99, 326. 

Otf spring, a woman's love of, 
13, 30, 31 ; of very young 
and very old, 113, 114. 

Olive oil as an aperient, 175. 

Opening medicines, caution, 
24, 104-107, 347, 348. 

Opiates, injurious effects of, 
75, 76. 

Out-door exercise, impor- 
tance of, 14, 73, 304, 347. 

Pain, a sentinel, 161. 

Pains, ' 'bearing-do wai," 247, 
248 ; before and during 
menstruation, 119, 120 ; 
"grinding," 245, 247, 252, 
257 ; at night in i^regnancy 
171. 

Painless parturition, 257. 

Palpitation of the heart, 121, 
127 ; in pregnancy, 201. 

Paralysis simulated in hys- 
teria, 127. 

Parents, unhealthy, 7. 

Passion, ill effects of during 
suckling, 323. 

Patent leather not good for 
cold feet, 24. 

Pendulous abdomen, cause 
and treatment, 189, 190. 

" Periods," the. See Men- 
struation. 

Perspiration from cold feet, 

23 ; free, effect of, 40. 

Pickles injurious during 
suckling, 346. 

Piles in pregnancy and their 
treatment, 184-187. 

Pills, opening, unnecessary, 
24, 25, 104, 105, 348. 

Pleasures of a newly-married 
wife, 85-87. 



Plethoric pregnant females, 
168. 

Poisoned by one's own 
breath, 28. 

Pomade, evil effects of, 39. 

Porter at meals, 47, 302, 320. 

Position after delivery, 283, 
284 ; of a mother during 
suckling, 323 ; of patient 
after labor, 286. 

Poverty of blood, 121. 

Pregnancy, signs of, 142 ; ail- 
ments and their remedies, 
172-206 ; air and exercise 
in, 14, 156-158 ; horse ex- 
ercise prejudicial, 26 ; diag- 
nosis from flatulence, 148 ; 
dietary in, 165-169 ; morn- 
ing sickness the first har- 
binger of, 192, 193 ; con- 
cluding remarks, 241. 

Pregnancy Table, 220-222. 

Premature births, causes of, 
11. 

Premature labor, 206. 

Prolific mothers, 34, 117, note. 

Prunes, stewed, for costive- 
ness, 344. 

Puberty, period of, 112, 116. 

Punting, 20. 

Pulse in unborn children, a 
means of determining sex, 
226. 



" QuiCKENiNO," 145, 221 ; 
sensation of, 145, 146 ; 
cause, 146, 147 ; flatulence 
sometimes mistaken for, 
148. 

Quiet, necessary after confine- 
ment, 296, 297. 

Rats, useful to man, 162. 
" PiCckonino:," being out in 

the, 224, 225. 
Refreshment after labor, 285. 
"Regular," being, 116, 124, 

125. 
Respiration, artificial, 277. 
Rest, in preijnancy, 165 ; 

after labor, 283, 296, 297. 



366 



IXDEX. 



Restlessness at night, 171. 

Rowing, 20. 

Rules for a female prone to 
miscarry, 209 ; for barren 
wife, 76 ; of health, 40, 104. 

Salad Oil as an aperient in 
pregnancy, 17-3. 

Saline aperients in pregnancy, 
173. 

Saliva, increased flow in preg- 
nancy, 150. 

Sea-air, 102, 204. 

Sea-bathing, 40, 102 ; in preg- 
nancy, 150, 204 ; good for 
the hair, 3i). 

Seidlitz powders, 175, 203. 

Servants, training domestic, 
96. 

Sewer poison, effects of, 164. 

Sexes, statistics of birth-rate, 
226-229. 

Sexual intercourse in cases of 
threatened miscarriage, 213. 

Sherry, in moderation, 46-48, 
347. 

Shivering during labor, 246. 

Shoes, frequent change of, a 
remedy for cold feet, 23- 
24. 

*'Show," a sign of labor, 217, 
218, 245. 

Shower-bath inadmissible in 
pregnancy, 156, 215. 

Sick pregnancies, 196. 

Sickness during labor, 246. 

Silk stockings for cold feet, 
23. 

Singing beneficial during 
pregnancy, 87. 

Sitting over fire, evil effects 
of, 19. 

Sitz-bath, 36; in pregnancy, 
155, 204, 205; tepid salt and 
water, for irritation of ex- 
ternal parts in pregnancy, 
205. 

Skin, action of, in hot and 
cold weather, 40. 

Sleep for young wife, 70-76; 
in pregnancy, 169-172; 
value of, immediately after 



labor, 287, 288; in lying-in 
room, 238, 240. 

Sleepiness, a sign of preg- 
nancy, 150, 151. 

Sleeplessness of pregnant 
females, 171. 

Slipper bed-pan, 289, 294. 

Soap plaster, for drying-up 
milk, 352 ; for inflamed 
breast, 357. 

''Soon well— long ill," 297. 

Spasms of the stomach, 127. 

Spurious labor pains, 216-218. 

Stays, mischief caused by 
ti2:ht, 81, 154, 197, 262, 329, 
335, 336, 337, 338. 

Sterilized drinking water, 164. 

Sterility. See Barrenness. 

Still-born infant, 278. 

Stimulants, an age of, 61; 
abuse of, 33, 50, 53, 121, 
321; in menstruation, 121; 
during the change of life, 
140, 141; in pregnancy, 166; 
in labor, 268. 

Stockings, elastic silk, for 
varicose veins, 1.54, 155, 188. 

"Stomach labor," 259. 

Stomach functions, 46-48, 
324, 325; spasms of, 127. 

Stout, fattening properties of, 
47. 

Suckling, 306; aperients dur- 
ing, 343-348; ailments, 329- 
343; clothing of nursing 
mother, 316, 317; disease 
resulting from neglecting, 
309; when menstruating, 
119, 328, 329, 354; fresh air 
and exercise necessary, 322; 
position of mother, 323; 
occupation, 325-328; faint- 
ness during, 342; remedies 
for costiveness, 344; influ- 
ence on child-bearing, .308; 
stimulants injurious, 322; 
stated times for, 315, 316, 
.331; the temper in, 323; 
when pregnant, 356. 

Sunshiny in rooms, 80. 

Supper, an easily digested, 46. 

Swimming, 20. 



I>s"DEX. 






Swollen legs in pregnancy, 
154, 188. ^ 

Teat, indiariibber, and 
shield, 330. 

Teeth, importance of atten- 
tion to, 48; frequently de- 
cay in pregnancy, 192. 

Tepid baths in pregnancy, 
155. 

Tetanus, simulated in hys- 
teria, 128. 

Thinness and digestion, 46; 
diet for, 47. 

Tidman's sea-salt, 37. 

Tight-lacing, caution against, 
81 ; constipation caused by, 
83; ill effects in pregnancy, 
82, 154. 

Toil and health, 327. 

Tongue-tied baby, 334. 

Toothache in pregnancy, 151, 
190; remedies for, 190-192. 

Tooth extraction, the danger 
of, in pregnancy, 190. 

Total abstainers, 64. 

Triplets, 34. 

" Trying a pain," 250, 266. 

Turkish rubber, the, 38. 

Turpentine, oil of, a remedy 
against bugs, 103. 

UNHEALTHY parents, 7. 

Urine, incontinence in preg- 
nancy, 198, 199; passing an 
immense quantity a com- 
mon symptom of hysteria, 
128; retention after labor, 
289. 

Uterine ailment, 31. See 
Womb. 

Vagina, irritation of, in 

pregnancy, 206. 
Vaginal syringe, use of, 239. 
Varicose veins in pregnancy, 

188. 
Veal and milk broth, 300. 
Vegetables, well cooked, may 

be taken by a nursing 

mother, 346, 



Ventilation, importance of 
27, 28, 70-73, 159, 169, 170; 
of lying-in room, 286, 287. 

Visitors in a lying-in room, 

288. 

Walking exercise, advan- 
tages of, 14, 26, 40, 73, 74, 
102; during pregnancy, 156, 
215. 

Warm ablutions after labor, 
295. 

Warm baths, proper use of, 
34; for infants apparently 
still-born, 277. 

Water-brash in early preg- 
nancy, remedy, 183. 

Water-closet, importance of 
regularly visiting, 106, 347. 

Water as an aperient, 106, 
303, 345, 347. 

AVater poisoned by drains, 
164. 

*' Waters, the breaking of 
the," 247. 

Weaning, time of, 348, 349; 
symptoms denoting neces- 
sity of, 353-355; method 
of, 350-352. 

Weed or milk-fever, 314, 
315. 

Wet compress for opening the 
bowels, 346, 347. 

Wet-nurse, selection of, 355, 
356. 

AYet-nurse's and mother's 
milk, 318. 

"Whites," the, 122, 123, 134; 
in pregnancy, cause and 
treatment, 202-204. 

Wife, an active, 78; address 
to a young, 5, 104; a do- 
mestic, 108, 109; an excit- 
able, 51; mission of, 14, 
65; a useful, 100. 

Wife's life, described, 101. 

Wind in the stomach and 
bowels, 127, 137, 183. 

Wine, abuse of, 33, 55, 63; at 
meals, 46, 47, 320; in ex- 
cess causes barrenness, 52, 
53t55; cheap, 47; injures 



S^W/Y^ 



^ly^ 



368 



INDEX. 



complexion, 56; during 
suckling, 320, 321 ; in mod- 
eration, 63. 
Womb disease, 31, 82, 126; 
132; at change of life, 
134. 



Womb "dropping'* of, 
shortly before labor, 245. 

Woolen stockings, a remedy 
for cold feet, 23. 

Wormwood applied to nip- 
ples in weaning, 351. 



